


The Place in Which We Meet

by ShiroHatzuki



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Gen, Slice of Life, au where no one dies, can also be called: The Story of How Hinata Hajime Learned to Put Up with Everyone's Crap, multiple stories, regular school life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2018-09-30
Packaged: 2019-02-17 08:32:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13073118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShiroHatzuki/pseuds/ShiroHatzuki
Summary: Hope's Peak Academy's class 2-B has a new transfer student named Hinata Hajime, a boy who moved from a city a few hours away. As he adjusts to his new school life in a small class of colorful characters, Hinata slowly but surely does his best to befriend his classmates and create bright, sunny memories with them.





	1. Lucky Enough to Chase the Sun

**Author's Note:**

> Each chapter in this is actually its own separate story. I hope to keep each one short and sweet, but I probably won't be following that for long...

“Please introduce yourself, Hinata.”

At the front of the room stood a student Komaeda had never seen before. The reason for that was-

“Hello, I’m Hinata Hajime, and I moved here from a city a few hours away,” the student said, stiff and careful with his words. Komaeda concluded that Hinata Hajime was fairly nervous and uncomfortable standing at the front of the class. Then again, there were many just like that. “I hope we can get along!” Hinata threw himself into a 90 degrees bow, and Komaeda tried his best not to laugh. The new transfer student was being way too formal and tight. If he only knew how everyone else was, then he surely wouldn’t be as nervous, Komaeda thought.

Their teacher, Ms.Yukizome, smiled warmly at Hinata as he rose from his bow. “Thank you, Hinata. I hope you enjoy being here with our wonderful class.” Ms.Yukizome turn to the rest of the class. “And I hope the rest of you make Hinata feel welcomed here.” She pointed out an empty seat in the back not quite in the back of the room that was next to Mioda’s seat. “That will be your desk over their, Hinata,” she told the new student.

As Hinata crossed the room to take his seat, the people he walked past muttered their greetings. Komaeda, who sat on the opposite side of the room from Hinata, could not wait for the opportunity to talk to his new classmate.

At the next break between classes, Komaeda tried to approach Hinata, but before he could, a bunch of the girls in the class had gathered around Hinata’s desk. While Komaeda had always thought that girls were a little bit scary, many of the girls in his class were more so. He felt too intimidated to approach Hinata. Don't worry, you'll get another chance, he told himself. But then again, would Hinata really want to meet someone like him? No! The outcome did not matter. He had to at least try.

However, he could not find an opportunity until the lunch bell rung. Or so he thought, anyways. As soon as he heard the bell ring, he hurriedly shoved his textbook into his bag and stood, turning to where Hinata sat. Unfortunately, Hinata was not there. Komaeda glanced around the classroom and figured that Hinata had already left. Dejected, Komaeda took his packed lunch and sulked out of the classroom and to the courtyard.

That day, stepping outside felt like running into a wall of humidity. It was not necessarily hot, though summer was soon to be upon them, just super humid. Most of the students, especially the girls who cared about controlling their hair, prefered to stay inside where the environment was more comfortable. Thus, the courtyard was fairly empty. Komaeda prefered to go out on days such as that one, since he liked having a quiet, relaxing place to think to himself, and he really did not mind the climate that much.

Komaeda took one of the empty benches, set his lunch down next to him, and looked around. The sky had big, white, fluffy clouds lazily drifting across it, and the grass was as green as ever. In the shade of one of the trees there, a sparrow pecked at the ground, searching for food. One of the few pairs of double doors that led back into the building opened slightly, and a person slipped through them. The person seemed a little unsteady on their feet as they walked, staggering towards who knows what. From the distance he was at, Komaeda could not quite make out who the person was, but as he looked closer, the person looked like-

Leaping from the bench and almost sprinting across the courtyard, Komaeda managed to reach Hinata just as his classmate collapsed. Komaeda caught him in his arms, but he was not sure what to do from there. He did not have the physical capability to carry Hinanta to the nurse’s office, and he had no way of contacting Tsumiki, seeing how there was never a situation where it would have been alright to ask for her number before. Another quick glance around confirmed that there was no one else there to help him carry Hinata. All at once, Komaeda felt like he had just swallowed a boulder. What was he going to do? It was not like he could leave Hinata on his own in search of help. Who knew what could happen if he did that? For the time being, Komaeda decided to bring Hinata into the shade of the trees.

Komaeda half carried, half dragged Hinata to the closest tree and tried his best to gently set his classmate down before sitting down beside him. Looking at his classmate’s resting face, Komaeda thought that Hinata looked way too peaceful for someone who had randomly collapsed in the middle of the day. He wondered if Hinata was actually as carefree as he looked at that moment.

As he sat there, Komaeda thought about the day thus far. He was fortunate enough to be in the same class as that Hinata was transferred to. Unlucky enough to not be able to talk with him. Lucky enough to be able to catch Hinata when he collapsed. Unlucky enough to not be able to do help him. That was usually how his days went. Lucky, unlucky. Unlucky, lucky. The only consistency with his luck was that good luck were followed by bad luck, and bad luck is followed by good luck. Life felt like a constant rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, but perhaps that made his life a fun one to live. Or at least, it sometimes was. The one thing he disliked about his luck the most was that others were often dragged into it. This misfortune has caused him to lose many people and things that had been precious to him. He hoped that Hinata would not be added to his ghosts. Even if they had never talked until that point, he still felt attached to the new transfer student, so he would surely be saddened if anything terrible happened to Hinata.

Komaeda was woken up by screams of laughter from the open windows of one of the higher floors. He had not even realized he had dozed off. He glanced over to see that Hinata was still unconscious. Without thinking, he reached out touch his classmate’s hair. It was short, but it stuck out in all sorts of different directions. And it was soft.

Suddenly, Hinata began to stir, and Komaeda recoiled his hand. He watched as the eyelids before him slowly revealed pale, mossy eyes.

“Wha-?” Hinata mumbled, only half awake.

“Oh, thank god you’re awake,” Komaeda exclaimed, “If something had happened while you were out, I’m not sure what I’d do. I’m so glad that misfortune did not decide to take you out!”

Hinata went to sit up, and Komaeda backed off a little to give him room. “I didn’t understand half of what you said, but I guess I’m glad, too.” He rubbed away the last remnants of sleep from his eyes. “Say, why was I asleep in the first place?”

“I’m not quite sure why, but for some reason, you collapsed over there,” Komaeda explained, pointing to the approximant area where he caught Hinata.

“So that’s what happened. I do remember trying to find the nurse’s office, though I had no idea where I was going.” He turned towards Komaeda. At first, Komaeda thought that Hinata’s eyes did not seem very sharp. But he now saw that they did not search but instead carefully analyze. “Hey, you were the one who caught me, right?”

“You remember that?” Komaeda was honestly surprised. Not only did Hinata seem completely out of it when he fainted, but to actually conclude that someone like him could have been there for him… Hinata was very impressive. “Yes, I did that,” Komaeda confirmed, “though I’m so pathetic that I couldn’t even carry you any further than to this tree. I really am worthless garbage.”

“You... shouldn’t talk like your so lowly,” Hinata told him, “but anyways, thanks for helping me. I haven’t been getting much sleep lately, so that’s probably why I fainted.”

“Ah, that makes sense,” Komaeda commented, “I guess you’ve been stressed out over all the change happening around you, huh?”

“Yeah, it’s been a bit much,” Hinata admitted, “There was one girl who suggested I go to the nurse’s office this morning. What was her name again?” Hinata paused a moment to think. “I think she said it was Tsumiki.” He let out a little chuckle. “Even though I did try to go to the nurse, maybe I should have done so sooner.”

Komaeda nodded. “It’s good to listen to Tsumiki when it comes to your health. She specializes in healthcare, so she knows what she’s talking about.”

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind for next time.” He seemed to consider something before speaking once more. “Hey, even though we’re in the same class, we haven’t talked yet, huh?”

“Y-you even remember that trash like me is in the same class as you?!” Komaeda exclaimed, falling back a bit in his surprise.

“Really, what’s with that self deprecating speech of yours?” Hinata muttered before speaking a little clearer. “Well, you’ve probably already heard this, but I’m Hinata Hajime. During the breaks, I would notice you by yourself on the other side of the room.” Hinata averted his eyes and shifted a little. “It was kinda hard to ignore you, since you looked so different from everyone, and I was wondering why you were the only one who was alone. I’ve been wanting to talk to you since this morning, I guess.”

Komaeda could not believe what he was hearing. Hinata wanted the same thing that he did. He told himself to keep his cool and not screw up his introduction. “I’m Komaeda Nagito. I’m glad that we can be classmates.”

“Yeah, same here.” Hinata’s smile felt even brighter than the sun to Komaeda. To think he would meet someone who would even want to smile in such a way towards him…

Hinata looked down at his watch. “We still have some time before lunch ends.”

Komaeda stood and held out his hand for Hinata. “We can eat lunch in the nurse’s office, since she doesn’t mind it,” he told Hinata, “And maybe you’ll be able to catch some more sleep there before the bell rings.” Hinata took his hand and Komaeda helped pull his classmate to his feet. Komaeda grabbed his lunch he had abandoned on the bench before leading Hinata to the nurse’s office.

Hinata did not rest, saying that he had enough rest when he fainted earlier, much to Komaeda’s dismay. Since no one else, not even the nurse, was in the room, the two were free to chat instead as they shared Komaeda’s lunch. (Komaeda was saying it was a great fortune that he brought extra food in his lunch.) Komaeda learned that Hinata had a tendency to worry quite a bit about things, having a very realistic view if the world, and he often spoke very frankly. Even so, he was pleasant to talk with, though if he was teased too much, he was fairly easy to irritate and annoy. For some reason, Komaeda felt more relaxed around Hinata than he had in awhile. That may have been why the rest of the class had gathered around him so easily earlier that morning.

When the two walked into the classroom, they were discussing how the claw game at the arcade was totally rigged and the stuffed dolls in it were too creepy to be worth it.

“Since when were you two so close?” said Kuzuryuu, raising an eyebrow.

“Komaeda helped me out during lunch, and we kind just hit it off from there,” Hinata told him.

“No way, this creep?” Souda jested.

“Hey, I like him,” Hinata replied. Except he was not looking at Souda, but at Komaeda. And he was wearing a warm smile.

“God, how gross,” Saionji sneered.

“You can lessen up on them a little bit, Saionji,” Koizumi gently told her. Saionji gave a little pout, but she complied with Koizumi. Komaeda was reminded that Saionji only really listened to Koizumi most of the time, opting to be rude to the rest of the them.

“Hi-hinata, you’re looking a lot better,” Tsumiki commented, “Did you go to the nurse’s office?”

“Yeah, I rested up there for a while,” Hinata replied. Komaeda was about to protest, saying that he did no such thing even though he should have, but when he caught the look Hinata gave him, he held back his words. How naughty, Hinata, he thought. It was no good to lie to someone who was concerned, but the thought that he could share a small secret with someone made his heart flutter with joy. Maybe at the rate they were going at, they could become friends. Well, it wouldn’t be a good thing if he gave his hopes up so soon.

Still, he was fortunate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't realized that "Chase the Sun" is actually the name of a song until recently. I didn't even know that until that point...
> 
> I hope I'll be able to finish the 15 other stories for this series. I've started on the draft for the second one, and I'm trying my hardest to fight the oncoming writer's block by finding all the Danganronpa memes I can on Pinterest.
> 
> If you couldn't tell, I'm trying to play that little game know as "I totally ship them, but I will never make them have the relationship they should totally be in." I'm sorry if that fact is a little too apparent at any point in this fanfic.
> 
> At the parts where Hinata stops to think, I imagine them being like the points in a conversation where you have an option of what to say next.
> 
> "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind for next time."  
> (This doesn’t seem like a good place to end a conversation. Maybe I should say something else…? Actually, when I think about it, this guy…)  
> Have we met before?  
> He’s cute.  
> > We’re in the same class.
> 
> Thanks for reading.


	2. Ain't No Sunshine Without Your Song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get excited for the storm that is Mioda Ibuki!

Ibuki skipped down the hallways, humming an upbeat melody as she went. She and her bandmates in the light music club were allowed to come in early so they could practise a song that they had come up with and would surely perfect. For her part, she had a bunch of cool-sounding cords, such as-

“Woah!”

As caught up in her thoughts as she was, Ibuki did not notice the person in front of her until she ran straight into them. She reeled back onto her hind, and she briefly wondered if she fell as spectacularly as Tsukimi would. Probably not, she reasoned.

“Are you okay, Mioda?” asked the person she had run into, holding out his hand for her. The boy had a good but average face, spiky hair, and green eyes. He looked a little bit like-

“Aww, don’t worry about me, Hajime,” Ibuki told Hinata as she took his hand. She recalled how her face felt like it had hit a wall. “Though I must say; you’ve got more muscle than I thought.”

“Uh, really?” Hinata questioned with a confused expression.

“Totally!” Ibuki laughed. “Hey, hey, let’s walk to class together! Hajime will walk Ibuki to class, riiiight?” Ibuki dragged Hinata along with her, and after his initial indecisiveness, Hinata went along with it. After all, Ibuki thought, Hinata would be caught in a standstill if you don’t push him in some direction. It didn’t even matter what direction, so long as he had something to work with.

The two entered the classroom with quite a bit of time to spare, so only a few others were there. “Oh, Mioda and Hinata,” Komaeda called out from his seat, “It’s not often you two arrive so early.”

“I was helping out in the school’s library,” Hinata explained to him.

“And Ibuki was playing an awesome song with her awesome bandmates.” Ibuki put in.

“By the way,” Hinata added, “Why are you here so early, Komaeda?”

“Oh, Nidai over there wanted help with the baseball equipment,” Komaeda answered, motioning over to where the giant, buff classmate was sitting, intensely reading some papers. “Can you believe it? A team manager as respectable and capable as Nidai would actually come to filthy trash like me for help! I’m truly fortunate to be able to serve such a person.”

“Again with that,” Hinata murmured.

Ibuki then noticed that, peeking out from under Komaeda’s wild hair, a bandaid was placed on his forehead. “So you’re now going to say that helping Nekomaru made your bad luck hurt your head, right?”

“You’re so observant, Mioda!” Komaeda chimed, “Yes, while I was helping clean the storage room, some equipment from a higher shelf fell on me, cutting my head. It was only a little though, and the cut wasn’t even that big of a deal to take care of, even though I thought my misfortune would bring something worse.”

“That’s probably because the favor wasn’t even such a big deal in the first place,” said Hinata. Ibuki guessed that Hinata’s deduction was probably right, knowing how Komaeda was.

“My, what a lively party there is!” The three turned to the classroom doors to see Sonia, Tanaka, and Souda entering the classroom.

“Somehow, that doesn’t seem quite right, Sonia,” Souda commented, “or rather, that’s not how you’d usually describe it?”

Amist Sonia and Souda’s conversation, Ibuki could hear some faint squeaking sounds coming from Tanaka’s direction. He probably was trying to sneak his Four Dark Devas to school with him yet again. Honestly, she sort of felt bad for Ms.Yukizome, seeing as how their homeroom teacher was too soft to be strict with her students but also kind of needed to keep her job.

The two groups exchanged their morning greetings before conversing once more. “So why are you here so early, Mioda, Hinata?” Sonia asked.

“It is true that the melody maker usually arrives with the three other maidens of the land, and the plain human with the girl of artificial worlds,” Tanaka thought aloud, using his usual odd speech that, by that time, everyone was used to.

Hinata repeated his reason for being there early. “The only reason I walk to school with Nanami,” Hinata further explained, “is because we happen to be neighbors, so I usually wake her up. That reminds me…” Hinata trailed off as he pulled out his phone. Ibuki glanced over his shoulder to see that Hinata was texting Nanami to check to make sure she was safely walking to school. She almost laughed aloud when Nanami responded “I’m fine mom” and Hinata angrily shoved his phone back into his pocket, a slight blush starting to form on his cheeks.

“What about you, Mioda?” Sonia asked. Ibuki gave the same explanation she gave Komaeda.

“I kinda wish I could find the time to hear you play,” Souda mentioned, “I heard other people say that they like your music.”

When Sonia and Tanaka agreed with his sentiment, Ibuki racked her brain. It was true that her club usually met when a bunch of other clubs were meeting, so not a lot of her classmates could really come to listen. The idea of being able to play for them seemed like a good one that would have been nice to make reality.

Then the idea hit her. “What if you guys came into the room at lunch today?” she suggested, “Ibuki will put on a super special solo concert just for you!”

“To attend the ceremony of harmonies in the music maker's lair… it does not sound bad,” Tanaka decided.

With their plans finalized, Ibuki headed over to her own desk and pulled out the scores of music she had written herself. She was going to blow them all away with her awesome songs.

 

The last beat of the last song passed, and Ibuki looked up from her guitar to see the reactions of her classmates.

She found that they weren't all that great.

Tanaka was muttering something that sounded like either a curse or despairing poetry, Sonia was sitting there, smiling an empty smile, as if her soul was gone, and Souda looked to be dead on the floor.

“So… you guys didn’t like it?” Ibuki concluded, already starting to feel dejected.

“Well, I would not say that,” Sonia struggled, “I liked the sounds-”

“The music itself was really good,” Souda stated, seeming to have partly recovered from his suffering, “If it were only the music, it’d be perfect. But the lyrics are way too dark!”

Ibuki had heard similar words many times before. After all, her difference in taste caused her to split from the previous band she was in. Her current bandmates would reassure her that the music she made was good, but she knew her lyrics weren’t what people wanted to hear. Still…

“I see, I see,” Ibuki jabbered, not wanting to show how disappointed she was with the outcome, “I’ll keep that in mind for next time.” She flashed her classmates the brightest smile she could. “Well then, thanks for coming out to Ibuki’s concert. I hope you come see me again!”

Before the other three could say more, Ibuki put away her guitar and bolted out of the light music club’s room. She was not sure where exactly she was going, but she frankly did not care. So long as it was somewhere, then it was fine.

“Mioda? I didn't know you liked this sort of place.”

Ibuki looked up to see Hinata was putting away a book on a large bookshelf. “Huh? Wait, why is Hajime here?”

“This is the library,” Hinata told her, “Didn’t I tell you that I help out here?” Oh. When Ibuki thought about it, that did explain why there were a bunch of bookshelves in the room. “So why are you here, Mioda?”

“Well, Ibuki came to study!” she jested, “I want to read about Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire.” Ibuki let out a laugh. “Juuust kidding! I was actually wandering around and just happened to stumble in here.”

“Is that so…?” Hinata trailed off, seeming to take a moment to think before asking, “Say, weren’t you supposed to be playing for Sonia, Tanaka, and Souda right now?”

“Oh, yeah, that…” Ibuki would have rather forgotten that, but it seemed that was not going to happen anytime soon. “I just finished the concert.”

Hinata seemed to study her with a thoughtful expression. “Did it go well?”

Crap. She really needed to change the topic. But there was not much else that was on her mind, so she decided to switch to whatever her mouth wanted to say. “Hajime, do you think of me as a dark and depressing person?” Ibuki mentally kicked herself. That was NOT far from the previous topic at all!

Surprise was apparent on Hinata’s face. “Not at all. You’re probably the farthest from that, actually.”

“I see.” Inside, Ibuki felt a little relieved at that answer.

“Why do you ask?”

And then she was back to stressing. Might as well come out with it, she thought. “People say that my songs make them feel depressed. Well, the lyrics do, anyway. But even though I want people to smile when they listen to my songs, I also want to make songs that people can relate to. I can’t help it if it ends up being dark!”

Hinata did not respond right away, but instead appeared to carefully consider her words. When he finally spoke up again, he said, “It’s fine if you like to make to depressing songs, but if your goal is only to make people smile with relatable songs, then can’t you just relate them to happy things?”

“But on TV, everyone seems to only face depressing things.”

“Have you ever considered that not everything on TV is real?” Hinata countered.

Huh. That actually made sense if she considered it. “But how can write a happy song?” Ibuki pondered aloud.

“Why don’t you base it off of the happy experiences you have?” Hinata suggested, “I mean, you seem to have a lot of fun with your friends, right?”

Those words got Ibuki thinking. Her brain turned and turned, taking fond memories and fixing them to a tune. Suddenly, a song had formed. If she could share it with someone-

“Hajime!” Ibuki announced, “Come to the light music club room after school today! Ibuki wants you to hear a new song she created.”

Hinata was clearly confused by the sudden invitation, but the time she could waste explaining the reason behind her actions was better put into writing her song. Also, it was much better to leave it as a surprise in her opinion.

For the rest of the day’s classes, Ibuki opted to feverously write down her song instead of taking notes. It was not like she would pay attention in class, anyway. There were a few times when, between classes, Hinata would ask Ibuki what she was writing, but she dismissed him by telling him he would find out soon enough. In all honesty, she also wanted to share her song with Hinata as soon as possible, but she had to make sure it was absolutely perfect, and that took time. She told herself the end product was going to be worth the wait.

Finally, the bell indicating that the end of the school day rang, and Ibuki shoved her things into her bag and sprinted out of the classroom and through the hallways towards the light music club room. She had to prepare for her performance for Hinata.

Hinata did not arrive until sometime after the club started practicing their songs. Ibuki and her band had just finished perfecting the song they had been practicing earlier that morning when they heard a single person applaud from the doorway. The club members all turned their heads to see Hinata was leaning on the doorframe, seeming to have been there for a while. “That was amazing,” Hinata commented, “It made me feel like I could dance without a care in the world.”

Ibuki laughed, smiling. “That’s because Sayaka wrote it,” she told her classmate, “Aren’t her songs super fun?”

The first year band member blushed. “Aw, don’t give me all the credit, Mioda. It’s only good because you guys are playing it.” The other members were about to protest and joke as they always did, but the first year acted first before they could. “By the way, don’t you have a song you wrote that you wanted to share, Mioda? Why don’t you play it for us?”

Everyone, including Hinata, turned their attention to Ibuki. It was show time.

Ibuki readjusted her guitar in her hands and nervously licked her lips. “I call this one ‘A Bright Place.’”

She struck a chord on her instrument, and the notes, the words, flowed past her lips and filled the room with sound, with music. The butterflies left her stomach, leaving only the lyrics of loyalty, fun, and laughter. Of all the times of both excitement and doing nothing but enjoying some company. Of both helpful and senseless conversations. Of the person who made everything brighter with only his presence.

When she reached the end of the song, Ibuki looked up to see her listeners’ reactions. All of them looked mesmerized by the song. Slowly, they began to clap, their applaus growing with each second. Their faces glowed with delight.

“That was incredible, Mioda!” the first year exclaimed, “I can feel the close bond of friendship in the song.” The other club members gave similar comments.

Ibuki turned to Hinata. “So… Did Hajime also like it?” she asked.

Hinata gave her the brightest smile she had ever seen from him yet. “Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This time the song reference in the title is intentional.
> 
> I had a lot of trouble making this one sound like Ibuki. I imagine Ibuki's thoughts being as wild and fun as she appears, but I also think that she has some serious thoughts, as well, based on some of the things she says and later writes off as a joke in her Free Time Events. I also think that when she has a lot of fun, she doesn't do much thinking, but when she feels down, her mind works a lot more. Unfortunately, I'm not very good at relating to this, since my head is always filled with rainbows and memes. And anime and video games, as you can see. It's hard for me to think of deeper meanings for anything, so doing so drains a lot of my energy.
> 
> I kinda wish I knew how to add more music terms to this one, but whenever I tried, it sounded too poetic for Ibuki.
> 
> If you ever wonder why Ibuki is the only one where I use their given name in the narrating part, that's because I just felt like it.
> 
> Btw yes the Sayaka in this one is Sayaka Maizono. Not to be mistaken with any other Sayaka you may have heard of.
> 
> I hope you enjoy whoever I write about next. Thanks for reading!


	3. Running Towards a Sunrise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nidai's here to motivate everyone to do their best!

The days were swelteringly hot, and that day was no exception. From off to the side, Nidai carefully observed the school’s baseball team, making sure their performance was alright. After all, no matter how skilled they were, they were no match for the consequences of heat stroke and dehydration if they weren’t careful.

When the team called for a break, Nidai was ready with cold water for everyone. As he was doing so, one of the first years told him that there were some friends of his looking for him. Nidai looked up and saw that, on the other side of the chain link fence, two of his classmates were standing there, chatting. He quickly finished distributing items to the team and hurried over to them.

“... and the batters can hit the ball even when the pitcher is set to super hard and the hit box is smaller!” Nanami excitedly gushed, “I bet they can even win on extreme mode!”

Hinata smiled fondly at his companion. “I’m not sure if I would relate it to video games, but they really are good.”

Nidai roared with laughter when he overheard this exchange as he approached, startling his classmates. “You two haven’t even seen how these guys get during a game! They always get cold feet and think they won’t be able to put up a good fight, but then they do just fine once the game actually starts. These jokers really shine on the battlefield.”

Hinata had a thoughtful expression, seeming to carefully analyze something in his mind. “It sounds like you have to motivate them before the game in order to get them hyped to play,” Hinata observed, “Do you have to give them some sort of motivational speech before the game?”

“Yeah, most teams get some sort of motivational speech before a game. It’s a common practice,” Nidai told him, “However, I have something that most teams won’t.”

Nanami’s brows furrowed slightly as she pondered aloud, “Nidai is a support unit, so he would usually have a spell or enchantment or spare items that would boost the stats of one party member or the entire team. However, these are standard among most support types. That must mean… Nidai has a unique ability within his skill set!” Her eyes gleamed as she made her conclusion.

“That’s right, Nanami!” Nidai cheered, “After many years of research, experimentation, and practice, I have perfected ‘it!’”

“I- I’m not sure I follow?” said Hinata, confusion scrawled across his face.

Just then, someone from the team called for Nidai. As much as he would have loved to talk with his classmates some more, the practice was still not over, so he had to work hard, as well. “Don’t worry about it,” Nidai told Hinata before he jogged off, “You will experience ‘it’ soon enough, I’m sure.”

The next morning, Nidai, Hinata, Kuzuryuu, and Owari had gathered around Hanamura’s desk and were engaging in small talk before homeroom started. At the moment, they were talking about what they did when they had free time on the weekends. Hanamura said he cooked no matter what, which made Nidai impressed by his dedication. Kuzuryuu only gave a cryptic “I’m out and about” and refused to talk more. When Owari was not hanging out in some place filled with food, she was practicing her parkour gymnastics, which Nidai sometimes helped her with. Nidai personally tended to research about other sports teams and spend time with his athletes.

“What about you, Hinata?” Owari asked their spiky haired classmate.

“I usually hang out with Nanami at home,” he told them.

“Oh? And what do you two do?” Hanamura inquired, a sly smile spreading across his lips that Nidai knew meant he was looking for something undesirable.

Hinata, however, seemed to ignore Hanamura’s suggestive tone. “We usually stay inside and play video games,” he said, “Sometimes, if our parents ask one of us to go to the store or some errand like that, we’d go together.”

“Sounds relaxing,” Kuzuryuu commanded, “Maybe I’ll go hang out with you losers sometime.” In his mind, Nidai agreed that it seemed very relaxing, thought he could not see himself enjoying sitting around at home for an extended period of time.

Hinata smiled. “Nanami would like that. Oh, but not this weekend. Nanami told me she's visiting somewhere and probably won't be back until Sunday night,” he brought up.

“Aww, so Hinata will be lonely this weekend?” Hanamura teased, “If you ever need some, ah, company, then feel free to call me.”

“I think I’ll be fine, but thanks for the offer,” Hinata hurriedly put in, panic starting to form on his face. Nidai could not really blame him, knowing Hanamura.

Suddenly, Nidai had an idea. “If Nanami isn't available, then how about training with me?” he suggested.

“Training?” Hinata touched his hand to his chin, appearing to consider the offer. “I won’t be doing any crazy exercises, will I?”

Nidai laughed. “Crazy? Of course not! We’re just going to dip our toes in different sports.”

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Hinata murmured. Then, seeming to come to terms with his decision, he continued in a slightly louder volume, “I don’t really have much else to do, so why not?”

“Excellent!” Nidai exclaimed, “I’ll stop by your place Saturday morning, Hinata.”

With their plans finalized, Nidai headed over to his desk and pulled out a sheet of paper to begin planning out a training regimen. Some early morning jogging, stretching afterwards, and then he should make sure to bring some sports equipment to see how Hinata would perform. For the time being, he decided that some small, plastic cones and a football would do.

Saturday morning, Nidai found himself walking along an empty street lined with houses. Mornings were the best time to train, in his opinion, since the air would still be cool. He shifted the bag full of equipment and such that he carried on one shoulder and peered up at the sky. A few stars were still out, twinkling against a dark blue backdrop. The only sounds he could hear were his own movements. He chuckled as he recalled a time when he was only able to experience such a morning in a bed, peering out a window overlooking a world he was not a part of. He was grateful for every morning sky he could run under.

Nidai pulled out his phone to check for the address Hinata gave him. It was only a few houses down from where he was. When he reached his destination, he took a quick examination of the building. It had a plain looking exterior, a two story house that looked almost exactly like most of the other houses in the neighborhood. Nidai double checked to make sure that the address of the house matched with the one on his phone’s screen. It would have been hard to explain if he stood outside of a stranger’s house so early in the morning.

He sent Hinata a message saying he was outside, then waited. A few minutes later, he saw a light turn on in a window from the second floor, and more waiting brought him sound coming from within the house.

Soon, a half-awake Hinata had opened the front door. “Nidai, what are you doing here?” Hinata asked, remnants of sleep still in his voice.

“I’m here to help with your training,” Nidai told him, secretly thinking that it was amusing how Hinata’s hair stuck out even more than usual.

Hinata’s expression became that of bewilderment. “It’s not even 5 in the morning yet. You… do realize that, right?”

“Of course I do.” There was no reason he would not. “The best time to train is in the early morning before the sun rises, you know.”

Hinata rubbed his eyes with his thumb and pointer finger. “Look, as much as I would like to, it really is too early in the morning for me.”

“Nonsense!” Nidai exclaimed, “C’mon, change and meet me back out here so we can jog to get your blood pumping.”

At first, Hinata looked conflicted, but after standing in the doorway for a while, he sighed and headed back inside. “I’ll be back in ten minutes,” he told Nidai before shutting the door.

True to his word, Hinata opened the front door once more ten minutes later wearing a hoodie, sweatpants, and sneakers. “Alright, let’s do this,” Hinata tiredly said, adjusting the hem of hoodie.

Nidai and Hinata jogged in a comfortable silence for a while, Nidai occasionally commenting on and fixing Hinata’s form. They remained this way until they reached a park, where they took a break. The two slowed down their pace as they headed towards a bench, where they sat themselves down. Both of them were breathing hard, but Hinata more so.

“Haha! See, isn’t so much better to run in the morning when it’s still cool out rather than when it’s already scorching hot?” Nidai grinned.

“...Yeah, I guess… it is… better than… gym class,” Hinata panted.

Nidai set his bag down next to him and pulled out two bottles of water, handing Hinata one of them. Hinata was quick to accept the water bottle, twisting off the cap and downing half of the bottle’s contents in one go. Nidai, too, drank quite a bit of water from his own.

“We should stretch before our bodies completely cool down,” Nidai said, recapping his bottle as he stood. Hinata followed his lead.

“I’m still really tired, though,” Hinata complained as he stretched.

Nidai considered his words. He supposed that Hinata was feeling that way because he was not used to waking up before sunrise.

Then he had an idea. “Hinata! How about we try “it” on you?”

“‘It?!’” Hinata replied, consternation apparent on his face as he stopped mid-stretch.

Nidai laughed at his classmate’s caution. “No need to worry, Hinata! ‘It’ will only take a moment.”

“Maybe I’ll be less worried if you told me what ‘it’ is!”

Hinata seemed like he was about to stand and bolt, but Nidai held him down fast. Hands on his classmate’s shoulders, he proceeded to rub circles into Hinata’s skin, pressing into his tight muscles. Almost instantly, Hinata gave in to his fingertips, relaxing with a sigh as Nidai carefully massaged his classmate’s back and shoulders.

“How’s that feel?” Nidai asked, working his hands into Hinata’s back.

“This is amazing,” Hinata breathed, “I feel light, like I suddenly have enough energy to do anything.”

“That’s great!” Nidai exclaimed.

“So when you were saying ‘it,’ you actually mean this killer massage, right?” queried Hinata.

“Correct. You see, whenever my athletes are feeling sore after practice, I’m able to help them with my original massage technique.”

“I’d imagine that’d be enough to motivate them. I feel like I can run a marathon, now!”

“Excellent!” Nidai boomed as he finished the massage, pleased with Hinata’s words. “Now let’s get to the real training, shall we?”

For the rest of their time together, Nidai and Hinata stayed in the park. Nidai instructed Hinata on how to properly dribble a football and helped him flawlessly shoot the ball into a makeshift goal. By the time the sky became light out, Hinata was at the point where he could probably go against the best players on the school’s football team.

“Well done, Hinata!” Nidai beamed when they stopped for a break, holding out Hinata’s water bottle for him, “You learn quickly.”

Hinata was breathing hard and half drenched in sweat as he headed over to Nidai. “Thanks. I think I’m getting it.”

Suddenly, Hinata seemed to notice something past Nidai. His were dazzled as he looked up towards… the sky? Nidai turned to find that, above him, the sun was rising, hues of gold mixed with blue. Rays of lights seemed to be painted across the sky. The view was just like when he was able to go outside in the early morning for the first time. It was breathtaking. It was invigorating. It reminded him that he was there, in that moment, living.

“It's beautiful,” Hinata commented. “Thanks, Nidai.”

Nidai, not expecting anything like a “thanks,” turned towards his classmate. “What for?”

Hinata's eyes were still looking at the sunrise. “At first, I didn’t like waking up so early. But I’m glad you made me do it. This sunrise is incredible. Also...” He trailed off, seemingly working out something in his mind. After a moment passed, he turned toward Nidai and gave him a bright smile. “... I’m actually having a lot of fun. So... thanks.”

Nidai let out a chuckle. He was also glad he could spend the morning with Hinata. He looked at the sky one last time before retrieving the football. He decided they were going to work on passing next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a lot happened in Nidai's story, huh? I never really thought of Nidai as being the type to be held back because of a mistake or a fault in himself, and he's such a nice guy, so I don't think people would really hate him much, either. However, I think that opinion of him may have too heavily influenced the plot of this story, which is why there isn't as much action as I'd hope there would be. Sorry if this one was boring to read...
> 
> Nanami had a pretty long speaking part in this one, and even when she wasn't talking, she still influenced a major part of whatever plot there was. I can't help but want to write her into the story, though. She's the bestest.
> 
> Btw, if any of you are in competitive wrestling or plan on starting wrestling or some other related sport, please only practice with people in your weight class. As I type this, my hip still hurts, I think two of my ribs are bruised, and my growth has probably been permanently stunted...
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Our Summer Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes our favorite cinnamon roll, Nanami!

A. B. Down. Left. Attack. Special. Crouch. Dodge. With each button pressed, the characters acted. Lights and effects flew across the screen. Numbers appeared and left. The two bars at the top depleted as the fighters went at each other. Then…

“K.O!” The prerecorded voice sounded from the television screen’s speakers, and the two letters were displayed, indicating that the battle had ended. Nanami glanced at the top of the screen before it changed to the results. She had a bit less than a quarter of a health bar left, while the other health bar was completely empty. She had won once again.

“Ah, another loss,” Hinata sighed, placing his controller down next to him and sitting back. He and Nanami were sitting on the floor in front of a small screen in Nanami’s room playing videos games. Nanami supposed that most of their classmates would be doing something more productive things with their summer vacation, or at least going out to do some things that were associated with the season, but she preferred lazing around inside much more than going out in the heat.

“That was a close game, though,” Nanami mentioned, “You’ve gotten better at this.”

“No way. The only reason it was such a close call was because you had to deal with your bangs during the whole thing.”

When she thought about it, Nanami did recall that her hair being rather bothersome while they were playing. She hadn’t considered it before, but it was actually pretty tough to play with her hair getting into her eyes. “You’re right,” she said aloud, “Well, at least with my hair, you are. You really have improved, though. You’ve gotten better at those combos, you know.”

“Whatever. You should get a haircut. It’ll probably make things easier.”

Nanami considered Hinata’s suggestion. Getting a haircut did not seem like a very bad idea except-

“I’d like to, but I’m saving up emergency money just in case there’s a good game out, and I’d feel bad if I asked my parents to borrow some money to get one,” she explained to her friend.

“What’s with that? It's not like every place charges a lot,” Hinata told her, “And even so, I can pay for it if you need me to.”

“No way. Then I’d be violating one of my conditions.”

“I’m not your parent, Nanami,” Hinata scolded.

“I don’t know about that,” she said. She smiled as she considered calling her friend “Mom.”

“I know what you’re thinking and I’m not your ‘Mom,’ either!” Hinata retorted before letting out a sigh. “If you really don’t want to go out to get your hair cut, then why don’t I cut it for you?

“You can do that?” Nanami did not expect Hinata to be the type to learn how to cut hair, seeing as he had no siblings and his parents seemed like they took care of their own grooming. Then again, she was not given any solid proof that his parents were like that, or maybe he previously had a friend-

“Well, I don’t know how to right now, but I’m sure I can learn,” Hinata told her, “Anyway, it could be useful later on.”

Oh. That explained things, she thought. “Then, if it’s not too much trouble…”

“Not at all. While I’m at it, I might as well get my hair cut, too,” he considered aloud.

The two discussed the topic some more before they both became bored with it. Nanami suggested that they played another round of the fighting game, but Hinata said he was still recovering from his hundredth loss (it was actually the 76th loss) and his intense button mashing. Instead, they opted to take turns playing a cooking game Nanami had forgotten she had that had some surprisingly difficult controls.

 

A few days later, Nanami was sitting in her room, as usual, playing an arcade-style shooting game. At the end of the round, she glanced over to her half finished summer homework on the other side of her room. Summer homework was the worst, she thought. Somewhere under her homework, she knew a flyer advertising for a summer festival was also there. She also disliked festivals, but she kept the flyer, since it had a pretty design.

Suddenly, a lively ringtone sounded, and Nanami’s eyes moved on to her cell phone to find it was lit up. She stood up, crossed to the other side of the room, and picked up her phone, checking to see who was messaging her. The screen displayed Hinata’s name, and a few seconds later she found that he had sent a message saying that he wanted to come over for a while. She replied that it was fine with her, to which he responded that he would be over soon. Nanami set her phone back down and decided to play another round while she waited for Hinata.

“Nice,” Hinata admired at the end of her round.

“Thanks,” Nanami replied, almost beaming when she saw that she had finally unlocked an achievement she had been working towards for a while.

Wait…

“Hinata?!” Spinning around, Nanami found that Hinata had taken a seat behind her. She wondered how he had gotten into the house, since she was the only one home. “How long have you been there?” she asked aloud.

Hinata wore a slightly bashful expression as he raised a hand in greeting. “I’ve only been here for a few minutes. By the way, I wasn’t sure if you left the door the way it was on purpose or not, but I locked it for you,” he added.

Well, that explained that mystery, Nanami thought. She noticed that Hinata’s hair seemed slightly shorter, as if it wasn’t fairly short before. Glancing past him, she noticed he had brought a small backpack with him. Hinata usually didn’t bring anything with him unless he wanted to study with her, and even then, he would just bring his school bag. Could it be…?

“So… About that haircut…” Hinata started, his eyes wandering back to his backpack.

So he was actually serious about the whole haircut thing. “Is that what you brought in the bag?” Nanami asked.

“Yeah. Do you feel like doing it now?”

Nanami took her controller and pressed back to the home screen in her game. “Sure, why not? It might be easier if we relocated to the kitchen, though,” she added, thinking about the clean up afterwards.

The two stood up, Hinata slinging his backpack over one shoulder as he did so. As they headed downstairs towards the kitchen, Hinata told her about how he looked up multiple videos and how-to’s to learn how to cut hair, and he even watched what the people at the salon he went to were doing. He promised he would try his best not to mess up, though Nanami did not really care how it turned out. It was just hair, after all. It would grow out again.

Nanami grabbed a chair from another room, which she sat on as Hinata draped a towel over her shoulders. Her classmate then took out a pair of scissors and began to snip away at her hair. The two made small talk as Hinata was cut Nanami’s hair. It was then when Hinata brought up something that she had not expected, though in retrospect, she should have considered something like it would have come up.

“Hey, Nanami, do you feel like going to that summer festival tonight?” Hinata asked as he was trimming the back of her hair.

Nanami mentally kicked herself for not even thinking that Hinata might have wanted to go out and have fun during the summer break. Of course he would. Most people did. Instead, she just made him stay inside with her. Even though she preferred staying inside, a good friend would surely accommodate-

She must have taken too much time to think, because Hinata cleared his throat and spoke again. “I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to. It’s not like I’m going to force you to go.”

“But you’ve been hanging out with me and doing what I want for all this time, so I should go.”

“No, no, it’s nothing like that,” Hinata refuted, “It’s just that the others told me about it, and I told them that I would only go if you wanted to go.”

Nanami tried to assure her friend, “There’s no need to do that. You could just go without me. You’d probably have a lot of fun with the others.”

Hinata moved to stand in front of her and began to work on her bangs. “Don’t get me wrong- I do like the others. It’s just that I feel like it won’t be that fun if you’re not having fun with me.”

“You can probably have plenty of fun without me,” Nanami countered.

Hinata let out a sigh. “Look, unless you’re trying to get rid of me, I just want to hang out with you, okay?” He took a few steps back and circled around her a few times, carefully analyzing her hair. A moment passed before he handed Nanami a hand mirror. “How does it look?”

Nanami observed her haircut. It was shorter, which was good, since it was no longer falling into her eyes. It was even, too. In all, her hair looked normal. “It’s good.”

“That’s relief. So do you feel like going to the festival or not? And don’t lie to me.”

Nanami had to pause to think about her answer, since that was exactly what she was going to do. She recalled the past few years that she was dragged out to the festival, either by her parents or a classmate. Every time, it was crowded and hot even though it was at night. The first few times she went, the games were fun, but they became boring after she beat all of them each and every year. And even though it was nice to spend time with her friends and family, she preferred to do so in a slightly less busy environment. “I don’t really want to,” she answered at last, though with some reluctance.

“Okay, then we won’t go,” Hinata concluded as he washed off his tools in the kitchen sink.

Nanami still did not feel very satisfied with such a conclusion even though her friend told her it was alright with him. Yes, she did not enjoy the festival, but she also did not want to hold Hinata back from spending time with the others. She considered, for once, dragging herself to the festival if that meant bringing Hinata with her.

“Hey, Nanami,” Hinata called to her, interrupting her thoughts, “We just created a group chat for the class. Want to log on to it right now?”

She did as Hinata suggested to find that everyone was already filling up the chat with whatever funny topics they could. She chuckled when Ibuki made everyone excited that she had logged onto the chat. There was no need to be so happy about her being there, she thought.

Then Koizumi and Togami began to talk about how they were glad that Hinata suggested they create a class group chat, which caused Nanami to look up to find that Hinata was blushing furiously as he quickly typed something. He then looked up and, seeming to notice Nanami’s stare, turned even redder. “W-well, you see, I just thought it’d be more convenient for us if everyone could discuss things together,” he struggled to explain, “That’s all there is to it!”

She glanced back down at her phone, saw something about luring her out from behind Hinata before the others started talking about how Pekoyama had convinced Kuzuryuu to go to the festival, and then turned back to him. Did Hinata also suggest it with her sake in mind? Even though she knew that he would not admit it aloud, she couldn’t help but smile at the possibility.

Hinata cleared his throat, bringing her back from her thoughts. “C’mon, let’s finish cleaning up. We can go back up to your room and play whatever you want afterwards.” Nanami nodded in agreement before heading off to find a broom and dust pan.

A few minutes later, the two had finished cleaning and were deciding on what to play. Nanami checked the group chat to find that everyone was talking about the festival. Apparently, Hinata had already told their classmates that they were not going, since the others said they would take videos of Saionji dancing and of the fireworks. Hanamura also promised that he would make them the food his food stall was selling that night when the summer break was over. From what she could tell, her classmates were going to continue sending messages throughout the night. She decided on playing an easygoing game.

That night, the two friends frequently switched between their game and the antics of the group chat. As the festival went on, they began to receive many pictures and videos (especially from Koizumi) of their classmates enjoying themselves, and they even took a few pictures of themselves to send.

Then, just as everyone was getting ready for the fireworks, Nanami heard a faint crackling from outside. She peered out of her window and found that, some distance away, the night sky was being adorned with bright lights.

“Hey, Nanami, the others are sending pictures of the fireworks,” Hinata told her, “The ones Koizumi took are really good.”

She pointed towards the window. “We can also see them from here.”

Hinata stood to move closer to the window. “Yeah, you’re right,” he responded, awe in his voice, “I guess it makes sense, since the festival is pretty close to here.”

Nanami took a picture of the fireworks and sent it to the rest of the class, adding to the mountain of pictures and videos already there. Komaeda responded by saying that he felt fortunate because everyone could enjoy the fireworks together, one way or another. She agreed with the sentiment, but that only covered part of what she was feeling.

She turned back to her friend, who was still looking out of the window. “Thank you, Hinata.”

At her words, he faced her with a confused expression. She went on to explain, “Because of the group chat, I could still connect with everyone while enjoying myself. This is probably the best summer I’ve ever experienced.”

Hinata’s cheeks began to flush once more, and he averted his eyes. “It’s nothing,” he muttered, “Though this is also pretty fun, in a way.”

“Yeah, it is,” Nanami chuckled. She wondered if, just maybe, she could have many more fun days with everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another unexciting one. At least it ended up being better than what I originally had planned. Now *that* was boring...
> 
> I found out that I have no clue on how to write Nanami's character. In the first draft, she seemed too sarcastic and sassy. I really have no clue on how to write for soft cinnamon rolls... I had to consult the Danganronpa Wikia a few times to revisit her SDR2 interactions and to see what she was like in DR3, since I haven't watched that yet. Good thing I don't mind spoilers. I think I died on the inside when I found out what happened to her in the Despair Arc, though...
> 
> In this story, Nanami's not the class rep, but I feel like everyone still loves her lots. I mean, why wouldn't you?
> 
> That whole group chat thing was based on my own summer experiences. Usually during the summer, I try to seclude myself from the outside world. And yet, even if I don't reply to them, my friends would either send texts or emails to me just to share something funny (or traumatizing, like DHMIS) or give me an update on life. In a way, even though we never see each other in person for like 3 months, we still are able to enjoy our summers together.
> 
> You know that one thing that says if you mention a gun on the wall in the first chapter then you should use it at some point in the story? (I can't remember exactly what it was or who it's from) Well, similarly, I think that it gets pretty confusing if you bring up something in a later portion of the story that has close to not relation to whatever was in the first part of the story. While this thought can be made invalid in longer stories, and some writers can even manage it in short stories, I strictly follow this philosophy when I write short stories, since I suck at writing. And following that philosophy was exactly the problem I was having while writing this story. I really suck at coming up with a good plot... I'm still not satisfied with how this story turned out, either, but my brain kept drawing a blank whenever I tried to find a different plot.
> 
> So after doing some not-that-quick calculations, I figured out that the entirety of The Place in Which We Meet will probably be around 36,000 words, give or take a few hundred. With the font I'm using to write these, that's about 128 pages in Google Docs. These aren't the calculations I should be doing right now. I should be finding cos(-5π/3) rn...
> 
> If you read whatever I wrote in this end notes section, thanks for wasting some time on my ranting. And thanks for reading this story! Hope you like the next one.


	5. Shed Some Light on the Me You Know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So in this one, Twogami will only be referred to using pronouns. I wanted to experiment a bit more with it, and this seemed like a perfect opportunity to do so. It's probably going to get pretty confusing when more than one male character is involved, which is the majority of this particular story. Just know that if it's not clear who the narration is referring to, you can safely assume it's Twogami. Also spoilers for Twogami's free time events in island mode.

“Morning, Togami,” he heard a voice call to him. He turned to find a student with short, brunette hair approach him.

“Good morning, Hinata,” he greeted his classmate. That morning, they were walking through the school's gates along with all of the other students, the air filled with a medley of conversations. He had not seen Hinata very often when he walked to school, since the other was usually arriving early to help out at the library. That begged the question… “It’s unusual to see you walking to school like this,” he pointed out.

“I guess it is,” Hinata agreed, “An underclassman started helping me with the library a bit before summer break started, so he’s taking over this morning.”

That was odd. He never thought of Hinata as the type to pin his responsibilities on others. Perhaps he was missing some information? He raised an eyebrow. “Making your underclassman do all of the work, are you?”

Hinata shook his head with a good natured smile. “No, nothing like that. I was up late studying for that test last night, so I messaged him to let him know that I’d probably be late. Then he told me that he would take care of things and that I should sleep in, so I did. I’m going to check on him before homeroom, but he’s pretty reliable, you know?”

He nodded to show understanding. That made more sense, considering how diligent his classmate was. “I see. As expected, you work hard, Hinata.”

His classmate bashfully glanced to the side. “I’m just doing whatever so I can catch up with you guys. It’d be pretty bad if the new guy was a slacker.”

He let out a curt breath. “You’ve already been here for quite some time. Everyone in class likes you, and you seem to be getting along well with others, as well. Why would you pointlessly do so much work?”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Hinata replied with a nervous laugh before saying, “Well, I’m going to hurry on ahead to check on that guy. See you later, Togami.”

He nodded his farewell before watching Hinata rush off ahead of him towards the school’s entrance. He found Hinata’s drive and devotion towards everything he did to be a very admirable trait. Hinata was the kind of person anyone would follow to the ends of the earth for.

If only he was actually like that.

When he entered the classroom, he was met with a flying, multi colored projectile named Mioda Ibuki. “Goooood morning, Mr. Piggy!” she sang, clinging onto him like a punk koala.

“Mioda, you shouldn’t jump Togami like that,” Koizumi scolded.

“Awww, but Mr. Piggy’s so soft, I just wanna glomp him!” Mioda whined.

“There’s no need to fret,” he assured Koizumi, “No one was hurt, so I see no harm in Mioda’s actions.”

“That’s not the point,” Koizumi started, though upon seeing how Mioda went back to hugging him, she sighed and seemed to give up.

“As expected from our kind hearted class rep!” Komaeda gushed in his usual awestruck tone, “Even when inconvenienced, you still stand your ground and endure for everyone else’s sake.”

“It’s only natural that I would care for those who are beneath me,” he replied, “It would do no good if one of you held me down, after all.”

Mioda let out a loud, energetic laugh. “Mr. Piggy’s acting all tsun-tsun like!” She paused, then turned to Komaeda. “Wait, wait, wait! Did Komaeda call me an inconvenience?”

Their wild-haired classmate’s eyes widened, looking almost fearful. “Wha- No,no! That’s not what I meant at all!”

And like that, the classroom became lively with the help of Mioda’s playful comments and multiple apologies from Komaeda. He enjoyed times like those, when everyone was genuinely having fun. If they were having fun, then maybe he could, as well.

At lunch time, he headed out of the classroom to buy himself lunch from the cafeteria. He had always liked how convenient it was to buy good food. That day, they were selling burgers; his favorite. Once he had gotten his food, he found a table in the far corner of the cafeteria that no one was occupying and sat there. He did not mind sitting alone at lunch, since he was usually only there to eat before heading off to do something else.

As he ate, he overheard a group of girls freely chatting away. “And you can totally tell she’s just putting up an act,” said one, and her friends were quick to agree.

“God, I hate how fake she is.”

“I hate when people are fake, in general.”

“Yeah, fake people will never find someone who likes them.”

Those words hit him hard. Yes, they were not directed at him, yet he knew he was exactly the kind of person they described. He quickly gulped down the rest of his burger before heading towards the bathroom.

In the bathroom, he turned on a sink, cupped his hands under the running faucet, and splashed some water onto his face. He repeated the action a few more times, as if the water could wash off his growing anxiety and guilt. However, when he turned the faucet off and looked up to meet his reflection, those heavy feelings only grew. The person who stared back at him in the mirror was not him, but someone named Togami.

He remembered the day when he had first met the young heir. It was some time back in winter of the previous year. He was going to transfer to Hope’s Peak Academy in the new school year, and Togami was to start his first year there. He had showed off his ability to pose as others by disguising himself as Togami, and the real one was amused by it. At that point, the younger man suggested that he pose as the heir for the entirety of the school year.

“It would be an interesting ruse, no?” Togami had said.

“But can we really pull that kind of stunt?” he had asked. After all, they would both be registered as the same person, meaning they were fooling more than their fellow students.

“The outcome would be interesting no matter what,” Togami replied, an arrogant smirk on his face, “After all, what else are you going to use your abilities for?”

And like that, two Togami Byakuya’s enrolled into Hope’s Peak Academy, one as a first year, and another as a transfer student in the second year. The two had managed to keep their little trick hidden from the rest of the school, or at least no one had bothered to ask either one about it, but just that was not enough to assure him that it was alright to disguise himself as someone he was not.

Why question this now, he thought to himself, when you’ve been doing it for all your life? Of course, he knew what the answer was. Whenever he saw his classmates, they were real. They were so much more genuine than he was, and he envied that. He who never went by his own name, who only acted as someone else would, who could not even recognize his feelings as his own, wished he could be real.

Emerging from the bathroom, he heard a voice calling Togami’s name. He looked up to see Hinata heading towards him from across the hallway. “Hey, Togami,” Hinata greeted as he came closer, “Where are you heading to right now?”

“The classroom,” he answered, “I’m assuming you’re also going somewhere?”

“Not anywhere in particular,” his classmate answered, “I just got out of the library, so I don’t really have much else to do.”

“So now you’re going to tell me that, because you have nothing better to do with your life, you wish to follow me.”

Hinata’s looked lost at those words. “That’s not exactly it, but if you don’t mind...” With that, the two made their way to their classroom on the second floor.

For a while, they walked in silence. He found that odd, since they were usually talking about something whenever they were together. However, he could not quite figure out the reason for this-

“Um, Togami?” Hinata’s voice brought him out of his thoughts. “Are you alright?”

“Yes,” he answered simply, “Why?”

Hinata hesitated. “It’s just… You usually start the conversation.”

Well, that explained it. “Doesn’t that mean that you need to improve as a conversationalist?” Did he get the tone right? Did his movements go with the persona he wanted? The usual questions passed through his head, but he could not find it in him to care much about them.

“I guess so,” Hinata replied with a hesitant smile.

Another moment of silence passed before, on an impulse, he dropped the question, “Hinata, what do you think about me?”

His classmate turned to give him a startled expression. “What’s with this all of a sudden?” He knew that Togami would reply with a snarky remark like ‘Don’t answer a question with a question,’ but instead he remained silent until Hinata found the words to continue the conversation. “...To me, you always seem to be arrogant, like you hold yourself higher than everyone. You’re proud and a bit headstrong, too. But even so, that self-important shell of yours breaks, and I can see a kinder side to you, like you really care for us.”

“But what if my personality was completely different?” he queried, “What if I changed my appearance and even my name?”

“If you changed?” Hinata paused, his eyes lost in thought for a brief moment. “Well, I’d like to think that you’ll still care about us. People who are actually kind are that way because that’s just who they are, and you seem like that kind of person. I don’t think that part of you will change no matter what you do.”

So Hinata thought of him as that kind of person. Those words filled him up with a warm feeling. They felt like they were meant not for Togami, but for him. Along those lines, perhaps his happiness was something real. “I see,” he said. He paused, going through all of the actions he could take next before deciding to say, “Thank you, Hinata.”

Hinata looked puzzled by those words. “What for?” he asked.

“You’ve helped me realize something important. I feel like I’m able to move forward now.” Yes, he was still going to pose as Togami for the rest of the year, but he was not going to lose sight of who he was again. He was just as real as the person by his side, his peers, and the person he was impersonating. He decided that in the next school year, there would only be one Togami Byakuya who was entering his second year of high school. Also, there would most definitely be at least one new transfer student in the third year.

“Say, Hinata, how about we go get some food together after the club activities are over?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit shorter than the others, but that's because even I can get pretty tired of using so may pronouns in one story, and people who know me irl would know I'm the ruler of pronouns. I'm sure a bunch of others are also pretty annoyed by the amount of pronouns in this, so I apologize for that. *gets on hands and knees to apologize* It's also a bit shorter because Twogami didn't live long enough in the main game for me to get very attached to him lol.
> 
> When I saw the SHSL Impostor's free time events, to me, he seemed slightly insecure, or at least doubtful about his talent and his self. However, his Togami persona is a bit overbearing, like the real deal, so it seems only natural that a person like Hinata would be at a lost for words when interacting with him. Also, because of his kind intentions, the SHSL Impostor seems more tsundere-like than the real Togami.
> 
> Btw I made a tumblr. It's shiro-hatzuki.tumblr.com . Idk if you really want to see what a loser like me has on their tumblr tho lol.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	6. The Sun Prince

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, here's the story of our favorite princess: Sonia Nevermind.

In her home in a small country, Sonia would dream. When she was not studying or attending some duty her family made her obligated to do, she was watching a show or movie, reading a book, writing a story, doodling on old notes, or peering out a window at the world beyond. And she dreamed of lands outside of her home, of meeting new people, of trying new things, of seeing everything that 197 million kilometers of land had to offer. As she gazed up at the vast sky, she would swear upon the sun, upon the moon, upon the ever moving clouds and stars that she would one day see the world she dreamed of. So when she was offered a chance to study abroad, she jumped on it.

“Sonia, here’s the next part.”

Now, almost a year and a half after she had left the country that she had known so well, she found herself enjoying the time she spent with her classmates.

“Thank you, Hinata,” she said to the brunet. The two were working on a research project for one of their classes during a free period. As she typed out the words on the glowing screen of her personal laptop, Hinata placed his page of notes next to her. Their plan was simple: she would find their main topic and write the paper while Hinata did all of the heavy research. While they had until the next day to submit the paper, Sonia was sure that they would finish by that night.

“You really are good at this kind of thing,” Hinata commented as he set down his stack of library books down on his own desk before pulling up a chair next to Sonia’s.

Without looking up from her task, she replied, “Back at home, I always did a lot of research on multiple topics and wrote reports on them, so I’m used to it.”

“I see.” The two fell into silence, though Sonia could feel Hinata reading over her shoulder as she typed. Earlier, she had asked Hinata to help her with grammar and such, since the autocorrect function on her computer somehow was permanently broken. However, she had yet to hear her classmate tell her a thing about it.

“How does it look?” she asked when she finish the paragraph.

“Perfect,” Hinata answered, “I can't find a single mistake. Your wording is good, too.”

“Is that so?” Sonia did not expect such feedback. Normally, she was told that her speech was slightly off, especially when she was trying to say an idiom of some sort.

Hinata nodded. “You’re pretty good with formal papers, you know?” That comment made her blush a bit. Hinata was such a natural flatterer.

“I suppose all of those research papers I did fit the bill, yes?” she joked.

Her classmate looked puzzled for a moment before coming to a conclusion. “You meant ‘paid off,’ right?” Darn, another slip up. “Yeah, they must have.”

The two continued to work on their paper while quietly exchanging one liners and jokes. One reason why Sonia enjoyed Hinata’s company was because he always managed to make a day a little brighter even if he did it unintentionally. It was quite the admirable quality, in her opinion.

After the school day ended, Sonia would often leave with Tanaka and Souda, since they lived in the same direction as her. Usually, they would talk about either the culture of her homeland or of Japanese culture, since they were so different. That day, they were discussing the delicacies of both.

“You should try our chocolate, since it’s some of the best in the world,” Sonia recommended to the two boys, “My family puts some in every care package they send me. I’ll share some with everyone next time.”

“Is that so? Then I would be grateful to receive some of this substance from your home,” Tanaka told her.

“Yeah, thanks, Sonia,” Souda said with a small laugh, seeming to say something about receiving chocolates under his breath.

“Human of high blood,” Tanaka suddenly said to Sonia, “Have you been once charmed by the urge to return to your place of origins?”

Sonia was taken aback by Tanaka’s sudden question. Had she ever wanted to go back since she left it? “...Perhaps I have,” she answered after thinking it over carefully, “Once in a while.”

That evening, she received a care package from her family. As usual, it contained foods and trinkets from the country, including their signature chocolate. However, there was something else in the box buried under everything else. Sonia took out the object to find that it was a picture book.

Flipping through it, memories flooded her head as she recalled reading tales of brave heroes and incredible adventures. The particular picture book she was holding was her favorite in her childhood. Every night, she would read it, and every night, she would dream of being the princess that the hero befriended. When she thought of her childhood, the moment felt bitter sweet. Those times were simple, warm, and she knew that there was no way for her to live them again.

She realized just how much she missed her homeland and her family. Thinking of nothing but adventure and a sort of self exploration, she left the world she had known and loved all of her life. In that moment of reminiscence, she thought that perhaps loneliness was the price for her impulsiveness.

Perhaps her dreams should be sacrificed for the home she had left behind.

The next day, Sonia had a headache that seemed to have stemmed from her conflicted head. Taking her seat in the classroom, she tried to list out everything she had to worry about while two voices in her brain argued over the pointlessness of her dream. The essay was submitted, she had the textbooks, and oh by the way, those silly fantasies about seeing the world were unrealistic, anyways. As she rubbed her temples in an attempt to relieve some pain, she wished she had something for her pounding head. Or better yet: if there was some way to mute the bickering with herself.

“Hey, are you okay, Sonia?” Sonia looked up to see Hinata by her side, concern painted across his face.

“Oh, yes, I’m fine. Thank you, Hinata,” she told her classmate.

Hinata eyed her suspiciously, but dropped the matter. Until homeroom started, he only made simple small talk with Sonia, which she was grateful for. For a few moments, she almost forgot about her headache as the two laughed a comedy show that Hinata had recommended to her.

The lunch time bell came as a relief for Sonia. For every class, she found it difficult to pay attention. She considered going to the nurse’s office to ask for something for her headache, but something in her -perhaps a stubborn determination to see how long she could hold out- kept her from leaving the classroom.

Looking around the classroom, Sonia noticed that the room was relatively empty save for herself and one other person. “It seems like we’re the only ones left,” Sonia commented as Hinata pulled out a store bought lunch from his school bag.

“Yeah, seems like it,” Hinata responded, “though I’m pretty sure some people will come back later.”

“Yes, that seems likely,” Sonia agreed, pulling up a desk next to Hinata’s. “Shall we talk some more as we wait for more company?”

“Sure, I don’t mind, but I’m all out of topics,” Hinata told her.

“Then for a topic…” Sonia made an effort to push past her aching head to think of something to say. There were many subjects they could talk about, she knew, though she she found it difficult to think of something that they had not already discussed. Then she remembered something. “Oh! I brought chocolates from my country.” She dug through her school bag to find them. “I gave some to Souda and Tanaka earlier, but it seems that this time I received quite a bit.”

Sonia handed Hinata one of many chocolate bars, which he unwrapped and bite into. She waited in anticipation as Hinata's eyes widened for a moment before he closed them, seeming to savor the taste. “It’s really good,” Hinata told her at last, “I think this is the best chocolate I’ve ever eaten.”

“Wonderful!” Sonia exclaimed, “I’m so glad that I could share this with you. It’s been my favorite since childhood, you know.”

Hinata laughed in response. “I can believe that.”

“It really is good, isn’t it?” she said as she pulled out a chocolate for herself. Biting into it, a faint memory of walking outside on a warm afternoon while munching on a sweet chocolate bar crossed her mind. It was so easy to simply stroll around back then in that place.

“Say, Hinata,” Sonia started without much other thoughts, “Do you ever miss the place that you came from?”

“Do you mean the place I used to live in?” HInata asked. Sonia had no idea what she meant, so she just confirmed it. Hinata paused for a second, in thought. “The place I used to live in before coming here wasn’t that great, so I can’t say I miss it that much.” Oh. “But there was a time when we lived with my grandparents for a while. That was one of the best times of my life. What about you?”

“Oh, me?” Sonia took a deep breath, trying to organize her thoughts past the pain. “Yes, I do. Quite a bit.” So much that is hurt. “I wonder if I should move back home and stay there. That’s where all of my family is, after all. They probably wish I was home, too.”

Instead of responding right away, Hinata seemed to be quietly considering her words. After a moment passed, he carefully said, “It’s understandable that you would feel that way. I mean, I also miss my grandparents a lot. But do you really want to never leave your home again?”

This question caught Sonia off guard. She had not considered that before. Hinata continued, “You have all of the resources a person could ever want to travel anywhere, right? Why not use those to also visit home? It’s not like you can’t just drop by for a visit during breaks and stuff. You did say that you wanted to travel the world, right?” Sonia nodded. “Then do it. Your family let you come here, so even though they probably miss you, too, they also will be happy to see you fulfill your dreams.”

Sonia considered those words. Yes, that logic did make sense. Her headache eased as she considered the possibilities of her future plans. “Thank you, Hinata. I feel at peace with my decisions, now.”

“Don’t say it like that,” Hinata replied with a chuckle, “You sound like you’re going to die.”

Just then, some of their classmates entered the room, bringing with them whatever fun topic all of them could distract themselves with. However, Sonia could not help but think about Hinata’s words; or more specifically, how his words affected her. He had managed to shed new like on her troubles, making them bearable to work with. There was a storm inside her, and he calmed it with only a few words. Somehow, that quality about him felt familiar.

That night, Sonia revisited the book she had been sent, reading it more carefully. The hero was smart with a head full of reason. In the story, the hero used only his wits in order to calm a massive storm terrorizing a land from far away, allowing the sunlight to kiss the land once more. Sonia realized why Hinata seemed so familiar: he was shockingly similar to the hero from her childhood.

When she reached the last page of the story, she found a folded up piece of paper stuck into the book. Sonia pulled it out and unfolded it to discover that it was a note from her family. On it, they had written about how they hoped every day that she was having fun over seas and that one day, she would extend her horizons further and find an adventure even grander than the one told in the story. She giggled. There was no doubt in her mind that she would fulfill their wishes. She wondered if they would be elated if they found out she was friends with the real life equivalent of the hero who brought light to her childhood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I's still keeping the links to the [seating chart](https://shiro-hatzuki.tumblr.com/post/173396641485/a-shoddily-made-seating-chart-for-a-series-of) and the [extra story](https://shiro-hatzuki.tumblr.com/post/173395824200/a-bright-summer-night?is_related_post=1) down here.
> 
> When I read this story, I think to myself, "How the heck did this take 2 months? This should not have taken 2 months." And yet it did...
> 
> Sonia is difficult to write for, but Tanaka is even worse, and I've only dialogue for him! His story is going to be tough...
> 
> Also, I apparently lied when I said I would only use Ibuki's given name in the narrative. Everyone seems to call Sonia "Sonia" instead of "Nevermind," so I did the same. "Sonia" rolls off the tongue better, anyways.
> 
> Thank you for reading (and perhaps waiting for) this story!


	7. Beasts in Daylight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sat back in my chair, going through my mental list of characters and muttering aloud the character I've already written a story for. "Twogami, Sonia-" The words caught in my throat momentarily as I came to a sudden realization. "No. No, no no! We are not doing this guy already!" I went through the list over and over again, but nothing changed. I had dug my own grave.  
> I breathed a curse, defeated. "We're doing this guy."

As Tanaka strolled around the school building towards the back, the cool of the early morning kissed his cheeks. Even in the dying summer, the sun still ruthlessly beat down on the Earth as soon as it sat on its high and mighty throne, so he loved the moments before it rose in the sky the most. He adjusted his hold on the bag of feed in his hand. He was sure that his little friends liked that time of day as well.

Tanaka rounded a corner before following a path that lead to a section of the school’s land surrounded by chain link fence. He opened the gate and approached one of the two wooden structures inside. The small home held a single mammal with long ears that perked up as he came closer. He bent over, opened the door in the front, and slowly moved to pick up the rabbit so not to scare her. “Good morning, Usami,” he cooed, petting the rabbit.

He soon set down Usami and went to the second structure; a small chicken coop. Upon opening the door, the few young hens the school owned rushed out, apparently waiting for Tanaka’s arrival. “Slow down there, girls,” he laughed. He reached into the bag of feed and scattered the small seeds around a small area, which the hens gathered around and pecked at. Usami hopped over to the area, as well, though instead of eating the feed, she nibbled on the grass. For a moment, Tanaka took in the tranquil scene, glad that they could all get along well.

He wen't over a list of tasks in his head, trying to think of the other things he needed to take care of. Release, feed, clean. Ah, he forgot to bring the water. He would have to go back inside to get some. With a sigh, he turned around, planning on going to the shed…

...Only to find someone else was there.

Tanaka felt like his soul had leapt from his body and flew away. How long had that guy been standing there, watching from the other side of the fence? “Stay back, mortal!” he commanded when he regained himself.

The other student raised up both arms in a gesture of peace. “Relax, I won’t go near you,” Hinata told him, “I was just wondering if you needed any help.”

“What could a foolish human like you do-”

Tanaka was cut off by Hinata moving to pick up two jugs filled with water from the ground. “I noticed you were missing these, earlier.”

Tanaka narrowed his eyes. What sorcery did Hinata use to see him? “You truly are a trifling human.”

For the next few minutes before school started, Tanaka directed Hinata on how to properly care for the animals; where to set down the water bowls, how to clean Usami’s and the hens’ homes, and to check for any holes or broken parts in and around the fence. After all, if Hinata truly wanted lend his time, it was not to waste any that Tanaka needed... “You learn quickly for a mere mortal,” Tanaka complimented his classmate as soon as they finished the cleaning.

Just then, they heard two other students approaching them. “Hey there, Tanaka,” Souda called from the other side of the fence, “What’ve you dragged Hinata into this time?”

“Good morning to both of you!” Sonia sang, “Has Hinata taken interest in the caring of animals, as well?

“Something like that,” Hinata laughed.

Tanaka opened the gate to allow his two friends into the fenced area. He guessed correctly that they wanted to greet the animals. As Sonia knelt down to greet Usami and Souda was surrounded by the hens, Tanaka found that he was glad the small creatures were friendly with people. It brought him great joy to see all of his friends existing together in harmony.

“Homeroom’s going to start soon,” Hinata announced as he checked his watch.

“Very well, then. We shall finish out duties here,” Tanaka decided aloud.

The four did one last check of the fence before they left the area, Tanaka making sure that the gate was properly closed behind them, and headed towards the main building.

Tanaka always found the things people would normally think of as dull to be absolutely fascinating. In his home, dozens of hamsters of many different species and varieties were housed, and each and every day, he would keep records about their behaviors, patterns, and such on a blog he had set up; his name, of course, not revealed on it. During lectures that he took no interest in, he would write down notes and thoughts about his hamsters, think of other animals that he could take in, or simply draw little sketches of furry creatures in the corners of a notebook. Often times, his family would say that he needed to stop spending so much time with animals and talk with real people more. However, he disagreed. He ran a blog and the animals were kind to him. There was no need for him to interact with anyone else.

Of course, there were times when he wondered if that was really the case. During lunch, he was wandering through the hallways, pondering what he was to do. As soon as he decided that he might try spending time with his classmates, though, he heard someone call to him from the other end of the hall he was in. He looked up, and from a distance, it looked like Owari and Nidai were approaching him. That was fine, he supposed. However, when they were close enough to allow him to see them clearer, he froze. The one who he thought was Owari was smaller and neater in her appearance, and the one who he thought was Nidai was wearing a girl’s uniform. They were definitely not his classmates.

“Hey, you!” The Owari look-alike called when she and her friend were almost upon him, “You’re the guy that takes care of the animals out back, right?”

Tanaka rushed pass the two without a word.

There was no excuse for his behavior, he knew. The two girls did not seem to have malicious intentions, and he had no past interactions with them to properly judge them by. Only his own paranoia was to blame.

He decided that he would plenty enough time to be in the presence of his classmates later. For the time being, he headed towards the fenced-in area in back of the school.

After school, Tanaka said his goodbyes to his friends before going to the back of the school. On a normal day, he would accompany them home, for they all lived in the same direction. However, the teacher that usually cared for Usami and the hens was not present at school, so Tanaka decided that he would take over caring for the animals once more.

Upon opening the gates, Tanaka was met with a warm greeting from his small friends. “Hello, again,” he chuckled, kneeling down to pet Usami and one of the hens, “I have visited quite a few times today, have I not?”

This time, having brought everything the animals needed, Tanaka went to work making sure there was enough food and water. All the while, the animals swarmed by his side. This was all the company he needed. He had no interest in beings that could talk and say cruel words. So long as he was kind to them, the animals would never judge him for his quirky interests.

Still, in all of his years of his life, this was perhaps the first time he ever had people that he considered to be his friends. And there was one person who seemed to have taken an interest in him, which in turn made him curious about the boy.

He stood and turned, prepared to do the task of checking for obstructions in the fencing once more…

To find that only a few steps away from him stood the boy in question. Once again, Tanaka practically jumped out of his skin. “Enough with your sorcery!” Tanaka exclaimed. “No mortal should be able to conceal their aura to such an extent.”

“Uh, sorry?” Hinata replied, “Though I was here for a while.”

Tanaka decided to leave him be for the time being and complete what he had started. Of course, if Hinata was there to help again… “If you have nothing better to do here, then at least assist with preserving the safety of the small beasts.”

“That’s fine.” Hinata went silent for a few moments, his eyes filled with thought. Then he spoke up once more. “Say, you didn’t immediately tell me to stay away from you this time, did you?”

Tanaka tensed up. To think Hinata would make such an observation… “And what is your purpose to note such a minute detail?” he shot back.

“Ah, I guess it’s not that significant.”

“You never seem to listen when I warn you to avoid me at all cost,” Tanaka explained as he began to walk along the perimeter of the enclosed area, “The mechanical enchanter and the royal witch have proven to be able to handle my abilities, but if you truly are a mere human as you claim you are, then you will break.”

“I’d like to think I won’t go down that easily,” Hinata commented.

“I am the foe to this plane of existence, the enemy of the world. Those who witness even a fraction of my power shall tremble in fear. I was supposed to be cursed to eternal isolation for the rest of my wretched life, and yet, despite the warnings, certain people still throw caution to the wind, especially a certain ‘normal’ human.”

“Sorry? But,” Hinata continued, “I consider you a friend. I don’t know exactly what made you feel such a way, but regardless, I like hanging out with you as you are now. It’s kind of fun, learning about how to care for animals.” Hinata gave him a reassuring smile, and in that moment, Tanaka knew that, no matter what, the other was and always would be genuinely kind and patient towards him. 

“I-I see. You have a singularity within you,” Tanaka observed aloud.

“A what?”

“The singularity is a being that can overcome any seemingly impossible challenge before them,” Tanaka told him, “And it would seem like, while you cannot fully wield such power, you can still take on more of my own than most average humans can.”

“That’s pretty cool, I think? I guess I can stay by your side for a while, then.” Hinata held out his hand.

Tanaka paused. If he were to accept the gesture of friendship, he would be signing a contract to never refuse the company of this person. And yet, from what he had seen from Hinata…

Hesitantly, he took Hinata’s hand, giving it a firm shake. “For as long as we live, you are not to betray me.”

“Right back at you,” Hinata laughed.

Tanaka turned away and busied himself with checking the fence. He would never admit it out loud, but he was fighting a smile that threatened to appear. Suddenly, he had a new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite that little self-indulgent thing I put up in the beginning notes, I don't personally hate Tanaka. He's a good boy. The problem it that I've never written for a character quite like him, so this was a struggle. In fact, the main reason why I wrote this story so early on was because I wanted to get one of the more difficult stories out of the way so it's eventual arrival wouldn't haunt me for the rest of the fic. I don't feel satisfied with this story, either, even this one was rewritten the most out of all of the stories thus far. I just don't think I've captured "Tanaka" very well. If you have any suggestions on how to make this more Tanaka-esque, let me know.
> 
> Did the last few stories seem shorter? Idk about you, but I feel like these stories are getting shorter. I've also noticed that I'm starting to repeat concepts and ideas already. The creative future of this fic is starting to look bleak...
> 
> Writing troubles aside, we're fast approaching the halfway point! How exciting!!! It looks like the story next month is going to be focused around the perfect girl to get me pumped for this achievement.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	8. Darker Shadows, Brighter Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! We're doing Owari's story now!!!

The end was approaching. If she could just reach the three people at the bottom, then it would be over. When that thought crossed her mind, she found it slightly disappointing. She really did like the feeling of running the course while the world around her rushed by in a blur. However, she dismissed the feeling. That was what next time was for.

Owari leapt out of the open second floor window and latched onto the branch of a nearby tree. She swung her body onto the stairs, rolling along the concrete until she was on her feet. In two quick strides, she was faced with the short wall next to the long stairs, which she was quick to vault over. She rolled and stood once more.

“Time!” shouted Nidai as soon as Owari had raced passed him, “You’ve managed to shave two seconds off of your previous record.” He gave her a proud smile.

Two other guys -both whose names Owari could not remember at the moment- sat together on the grass. “As always, you’re incredible, Owari,” the one with crazy white hair gushed, his eyes alight with awe.

The other one, which had a plain-looking face, did not look quite as happy as the others. “You guys do know we’re going to get in trouble for this, right?”

Nidai turned to the two on the grass. “It doesn’t matter, since we’ll just apologize and clean up everything in the hallways like always. Anyways, you and Komaeda had nothing to do with it, and that guy’s luck will probably save him again, so there’s no need for you to worry, Hinata.” Oh, right. The plain one was named Hinata, which meant the crazy-haired one was Komaeda.

Just then, their homeroom teacher, Ms.Yukizome, rushed out of the school’s front doors. “Owari!” she yelled, her voice stern. Owari winced a bit. It was too bad that she and Nidai were going to trouble Ms.Yukizome yet again, but at least their punishment would not be too harsh with her.

“Over here, Ms.Yukizome!” Owari called, albeit a bit reluctantly, to the teacher who had not yet spotted them.

Ms.Yukizome crossed over to the wall and peered over it to look at Owari. “You really don’t learn, do you?” she started, “I know it’s fun, but there are other students here still. You can’t parkour in school no matter the time.”

“Aw, c’mon,” Owari whined, “I don’t run into people while I’m doing it.” Ms.Yukizome raised an eyebrow. Okay, that one was a bit of a lie. “... Except for that one time. But still!”

The teacher’s eyes bore into hers for a moment before Ms.Yukizome took a deep breath and ended it all. For what seemed like an eternity, Nidai and Owari stood there as their homeroom teacher lectured them on safety or whatever. Owari never really paid much attention to long winded speeches and rants. Somehow, while Ms.Yukizome was distracted by the two more athletic students, Owari noticed that Hinata and Komaeda managed to sneak away. The lucky bastards.

In the end, the two that were caught by Ms.Yukizome were sent back inside to clean up everything that they left in the hallways, as usual. Inside, in the second floor hallway where an array of equipment was set up, Hinata and Komaeda were waiting for them.

“My deepest apologies, you two,” Komaeda told them, only looking half sorry, “Being such lowly trash, I should not have left as I did. Of course, the fact that I fled like a coward just goes to show that I really am the lowest piece of garbage out there.” Owari noticed Hinata elbow the other in the ribs.

“Don’t worry about it,” Nidai assure Komaeda, “We’re the ones at fault anyway.”

“We could still help you guys clean up, if you’d like,” Hinata offered.

Nidai and Owari were quick to agree, and the four soon worked on putting the multitude of desks, cones, trash cans, and other miscellaneous objects that were scattered about the hallways. It was a good thing that none of them had anything urgent that they needed to go to on that particular afternoon, for even with two extra hands helping out, it still took an awfully long time to completely clean up their mess. Nidai and Owari may have had a tendency to overdo things, but if they did not put in one hundred percent of their effort into something, they might as well not put in any at all.

Eventually, they did manage to return the hallway to its previous state, though a few of the desks in the classroom were not very straight. That could be fixed later, Owari decided as she turned to leave. The sky was being to turn dark and it seemed obvious that she and Nidai would not be able to do much more training for the day. “Man, all of that cleaning made me hungry,” Owari complained, stretching as she made her way down the hallway.

Nidai let out a thundering laugh and patted her shoulder. “As expected from you. We’ll get some dinner at that diner nearby. I’ll pay for everyone’s meals.”

“Ah, are we all going out to eat?” Komaeda asked, “If you don’t mind trash like me being there, of course.”

“Yes! This will be an excellent team bonding moment!” Nidai roared.

“Team bonding?” Hinata sighed, “Well, even if I wanted to go, I can’t. I promised that I’d be home in time for dinner.”

“That’s too bad,” Owari said, “but it’s no good to go back on your promises.”

The four head outside of the school and parted ways at the entrance. The three that remained waved goodbye and called their farewells to Hinata until he was a fairly good distance away. Then they began walking towards the diner.

“But Owari really is incredible,” Komaeda gushed as they walked, “You can jump out of a second floor window without any hesitation at all! It’s like you have nothing to fear at all.”

“Nah, it’s not really like that,” Owari denied, “I’ve just been practicing this sort of thing for a while, you know?”

“It’s still impressive that you’re able to do it at all,” Nidai pointed out, grinning, “Not everyone can work up the balls to take part in a sport with so many risks.”

Their compliments were a bit embarrassing, though Owari still appreciated them. “It’s not that big of a deal. I mean, being afraid would make me weak, and weak people can’t do anything.”

“Ah, is that what you think?” For some reason, Komaeda was wearing an odd expression when he said that. Actually, both of her classmates looked like they had touched something unpleasant.

“It’s one thing to be brave, but to fear nothing would be foolish,” Nidai said, “Fear isn’t weakness, Owari, so much as it is an obstacle that keeps us sharp.”

“Eh? What’s with that?” Of all of the things that she had ever heard from Nidai, that statement made the least amount of sense. People who are scared tremble in fear as they cower in a corner, completely at the mercy of the world. That was a fact that she had to learn the hard way.

The next day was relatively boring. Of course, there was a sparring match between Owari and Nidai, but that was normal for them. Classes just never interested Owari, though Koizumi and her teachers would always scold her for not paying attention. When school was finally over, she and Nidai asked for Hinata’s help to set up an obstacle course outside of the gym before he headed to the library. Nidai had to help at baseball practice, as usual which left Owari alone to run the fairly basic obstacle course. It was always a lame day when she couldn’t find something exciting to do, but when she was by herself, she found herself being even more bored. Oh well, she thought. It was not like she never faced a situation like that before. 

Regardless, she was glad when she finished the millionth run of the course and found that Hinata was standing a bit of a distance away to the side. “Hey, how’s your practice going?” he asked.

Owari trotted over to Hinata. “‘Sup? It’s been pretty lame so far, so I think I’m just going to stop for today.”

“Ah, if you’re doing that, then I could help you clean up,” Hinata offered.

Owari quickly agreed and the two got to work cleaning up all of the gym equipment that was set up, dragging everything from foam mats to hurdles back into the gymnasium’s storage closet. It was a good thing that Hinata came to help, for the wind was starting to pick up, with it being early autumn and all, and some of the equipment wanted to blow away as soon as it was off the ground.

“Can’t we go now?” Owari whined after they had finished putting all of the equipment back into storage. Well, she thought that they were all done, but then Hinata said that they needed to organize it all.

“Nidai probably wouldn’t be happy if we left all of the equipment a mess,” Hinata told her as he shoved a stack of cones into a corner, “Or anyone else that uses this stuff, for that matter.”

Owari sighed and stacked the remaining mats. “Why do you have to be the responsible type?”

Hinata looked like he was about to respond when the room suddenly went dark. “I- what happened?” Owari heard him exclaim.

It took a few moments for her eyes to get used to the dark, though everything was still hard to see clearly even then. She could see that the sliding doors leading out of the small, cramped room were closed, a rim of faint light outlining their only exit. She tried the doors, but they would not budge. A chill ran down her spine, settling into her stomach like a brick. It had to be some sick joke. She had seen such a trope so many times in those scary stories Sonia seemed so interested in. There was no way it could be happening to her. The darkness seemed to be strangling her, taking the breath that she was so desperately trying to keep. If something was in the darkness with her, if it was coming for her.

Something brushed against her shoulder, a voice following behind it. Every nerve in her body went on red alert. She spun around to be met with the faintest outline of a young man, the white of his eyes being the most distinguishable feature of him in the almost-blackness that shrouded her. It took her a moment to recognize that there was a scream and another to realize that it came from her own throat.

“Woah! Ah, hey, calm down. It’s just me.” That voice was familiar. She had heard it a few times before. A lot of times, not in darkness, but in daylight. During school.

“H-hinata?” She tried to catch her breath, not seeming to be able to get enough air into her lungs. The last time she breathed so hard was… a while ago. A long while ago.

“Uh, sorry, did I surprise you?” There was movement in front of her, followed by the sound of a scalp being scratched. “I was asking you if the door was stuck.”

“Oh, yeah,” she replied, “It won’t move an inch.”

“Huh. Maybe something is caught on it.” More movement. “I think there’s a light switch somewhere in here.”

There was a noise against the wall, a low howl paired with scratching. Owari could not help but want to curl up and hide until the darkness passed. A frightened squeak escaped her.

“Owari? Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah. I’m good.” She wanted out. She wanted the howling to stop. She wanted it all to be over.

Hinata, however, did not let it rest at that. “Are you... scared of the dark?”

“No! The dark doesn’t scare me at all,” she refused.

“Then is it ghosts?”

She did not want to give an answer to that because it was true. “... So what if I am?” she growled. “I swear if you tell anyone about it, you’re going to get a fist in your gut.”

There was no response from Hinata for only a moment. “Look, I won’t tell anyone about it if you don’t want me to,” he told her at last, “but I don’t think anyone would judge you if they knew.”

“What are you talking about?” Owari snapped back. “I can’t have anyone think I’m weak. I can’t be weak. The weak die off and only the strong survive, so I have to be strong.”

“You’re not weak just because you’re scared of something.” Owari felt a firm hand on her shoulder. Not very strong, but warm. Alive. “It’s natural to have fear. Every person feels that way at some point. Sometimes it’s over something silly, and sometimes it’s not, but it’s a part of being human. Even strong people get scared.”

She shook her head, though it was not likely that Hinata saw. “No, I’ve never seen a strong person that was scared.”

“Sure they are,” Hinata countered, “But they could still continue on even if they are scared. Don’t you think that that is actually a really brave thing to do?”

“... I feel like Nidai was trying to tell me something like that,” Owari admitted.

Hinata patted her shoulder. “The wind is really loud, isn’t it? It’d be nice if it calmed down a bit. The lights don’t seem to be working either”

Owari did not agree out loud, instead moving to feel around the door. She found some sort of stick that seemed to have caught in the door’s frame and yanked it out. “Try the door,” she told Hinata. There was a gentle shriek as the old door slid open, flooding the room with the afternoon light that came in through the windows near the top of the gymnasium.

“Ah, so the power’s out,” Hinata concluded, eyes pointed up at the gym’s lights, which were out. “Or maybe it’s just for the gym.”

“... Hey, Hinata?” Owari started as the crossed to the gymnasium’s exit. “Thanks.”

“Hm? Why?”

She playfully punched Hinata’s arm. “You know why.”

She was glad that they were back in the light, but even if they were still stuck in that storage closet, perhaps the ghosts would not scare her so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy halfway point! I almost didn't post this one on time again, but this time I would have had a legitimate excuse! *gets hit for trying to come up with excuses* In Google Docs, these stories usually take up about 6-8 1/2 pages, but this one originally took up about 12 1/2 pages. I decided to cut out an extra cleaning scene with Mioda and the light music club from this, since that would have been way too much cleaning. What is this, Island Mode?
> 
> I was going back through the previous stories and noticed that in Nidai's story, I used "Akane" instead of "Owari." That contradicts the style of this entire thing! (aside from Ibuki but she's special) We can't have that!!! But that one blight aside, as I was fixing that mistake, I realized that I haven't been encouraging people to correct my spelling and grammatical errors. I try to catch these sort of things with spell-check, but sometimes spell-check doesn't catch the mistakes it should. So even if it's a small, almost insignificant spelling mistake, please let me know in the comments. Believe me, I'll fix it anyway if I see it and the sooner, the better, so I'd really appreciate it if you point out any mistakes in the stories.
> 
> While we're at it, to celebrate out halfway point, I'm going to officially encourage you to ask any questions and give any suggestions you have for me (if you have any, of course). I will carefully consider all suggestions and try to answer any questions the best I can. Technically, you could have done so anytime before this point, but again, a thing I've left out of the end notes... Whoops!
> 
> Thank's for reading! I've mentioned whose story I'm doing for this upcoming month before, and... I'm not sure if you'd get excited for the character himself, or for how hilarious of a train wreck it's going to be...


	9. The Taste of Sunshine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hanamura's here! What's going to happen with this story...? (not much there's only so much I can say in 8 pages worth of story)

In the classroom filled with the warmth of sixteen bodies, only the sound of sighs and student shuffling in their seats could be heard for that brief moment in time. In the front stood their class representative, Togami, whose eyes silently scanned over the room, and Mioda, who was taking a break from writing on the chalkboard. Some of the class looked bored and tired, the time still being early morning. Some wore displeasure on their faces. And some were absolutely giddy with excitement, already anticipating the upcoming events that would befall the small class. Hanamura was among the last group, his head swirling with ideas.

“Is everyone alright with a cafe?” Togami asked his classmates after a beat.

Owari grunted. “Can’t we-”

“No,” Togami immediately shot back, “For the third time, we can’t do a fighting tournament.” Owari pouted and slumped in her seat. “If there are no other opinions, then we’ll go with a cafe.” Silence again. The haunted house idea Saionji pitched was already taken by a third year class, and no one was going to run a better haunted house than third years. The rest of the class was unable to come up with something else.

“It looks like nobody else has anything to say,” Mioda chimed in after a beat, “so we’ll get going with Ibuki’s idea.” She pick up a piece of paper from the podium nearby and scribbled something down, then turned to their homeroom teacher, who was standing in the back of the room and watching over the students. “We’re done deciding, Ms.Yukizome,” she sang, waving the paper in the air a few times before trotting over to her seat. Togami shortly followed her lead, allowing the teacher to continue homeroom.

As the day went by, Hanamura wrote down the names of multiple dishes in the margin space of his notebook. Perhaps the menu should be something classy, he thought. He probably should have been paying a bit more attention, but he could afford a lower grade if that meant making a wonderful menu.

After school, Hanamura spent his afternoon helping his mother cook in the back of their family restaurant until they closed for the day. However, he still did not leave the kitchen, opting to instead to stay and practice cooking some of the dishes he thought of earlier. This was not uncommon for him, though he had previously spent the time to perfect the food listed in the restaurant’s menu rather than trying new things.

“I don’t think I’ve smelled something like that before,” a familiar voice exclaimed behind him. Hanamura turned around to find that his mother had come back into the kitchen, likely having just finished locking up the front.

“We’re doing a cafe for the cultural festival,” Hanamura cheerfully explained to his mother, glancing at the food he had in the oven, “I was thinking of trying out new things for the menu.”

His mother chuckled warmly. “Showing off a bit, aren’t you?” Hanamura was about to defend himself, but his mother patted his back before he could even finish saying ‘hey!’ “I’m joking. Should I come to school to try out my lovely son’s cooking?”

He could not help but grin widely. “Sure! I’d really like that.”

“Of course, of course.” His mother gave him another pat on the back before turning to leave for their living area upstairs. “I’ll be there on your opening day.”

Hanamura stared down at the vegetable that he was cutting. Whenever he cooked, it was always to practice for when he could help his mother with the restaurant full time. He always admire how his mother proved the whole world wrong time and time again and ran the best family diner in the area despite her steadily declining health. If Hanamura could make food as good as hers, then he could make the restaurant a more popular place. He and his siblings would be able to run their diner while their mother got proper treatment for her illness. This small cafe that he was going to cook for would be his chance to prove that he could make food good enough to keep the restaurant afloat even with the emerging big name corporations emerging. Determined, he continued to work.

The next day, the class was given fifth and sixth period to work on their cafe. Mioda had brought in various fabrics and papers, and she and Togami started to get everyone busy. “We’ll have this schedule until festival day,” Mioda explained, “That’s what the committee told Ibuki, at least, so we should all work hard while we can!”

Hanamura pulled multiple containers out of his bag for his classmates to sample the food he made the other night. He even brought little plates for them. All of them lined up by his desk as he distributed small bits of each dish to them.

“Ah, this is good,” Nanami commented, and most of the others shared similar sentiments.

“Of course it’s good. I made it after all,” Hanamura boasted, though he was secretly bursting with pride and happiness. He loved it when his classmates enjoyed his food.

Hinata was looking down at the food in his hands with a thoughtful expression. “Is something up, Hinata?” Hanamura asked the boy.

He was quiet for a moment before responding, “It tastes good, kind of like a restaurant’s food.”

“Yes, it does,” Sonia agreed, “Since we’re doing a cafe, that is a good thing, is it not?”

“Yeah, it is,” Hinata said. However, Hanamura noticed that Hinata seemed to have something on his mind. He decided to confront his classmate about it a bit later. Perhaps it was a problem that he could fix with good food, or maybe Hinata had something more to say about the food.

Once everyone had finished with their food, Mioda gave everyone a task. Koizumi, Sonia, Nidai, Tsumiki, and herself were in charge of creating the outfits that they would all wear on opening day, Hanamura was in charge of creating the menu, and the rest were to make the decorations. Hanamura determined that he could take that opportunity pull Hinata aside to his desk. “Say, Hinata,” Hanamura started, did you have something on your mind?”

His classmate looked mildly surprised. “Uh, yeah. Could you tell?”

“Of course I can. A chef can improve himself greatly if he gauges someone’s reactions to his dish. So what’s wrong?”

“Ah, well…” Hinata trailed off for a moment before continuing. “I was just thinking that it felt a bit odd to be a high school group making food that’s pretty much restaurant quality. I know it’s probably not a problem, though, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

Hanamura still wondered if Hinata was really alright with it. Perhaps he should ask something more specific. “Say, when you say that is restaurant quality, what do you mean? Or rather, how ‘restaurant quality’ is the food?”

“I’m probably not the best person to ask about that sort of thing, but I guess it tastes like the food you get at any pricey place,” Hinata told him.

“Just genetically so?” Hanamura questioned, worried that he may have made food that was came up short of what he was trying to achieve.

“I guess? It’s not bad-”

Hanamura put up on hand to interrupt his classmate. “No, it’s very bad. Or rather, not good enough. It looks like I will have to do quite a bit of preparation myself until the festival.” He gave the best smile he could, though in his mind, he was trying to piece together what could have gone wrong. Hinata was on the blander side of the personality when compared to their other classmates, and he did not seem to be a very picky eater. However, Hanamura still trusted that his tastes were a bit better than his persona, so there was no harm in considering the boy’s opinions as valid. “Thank you very much for your help, Hinata.”

For the next few days, Hanamura practiced cooking different foods whenever he had the free time. He even asked for permission to cook in the home economics room during their preparation periods. He noticed that Hinata was right about the taste of his food; it was a very generic taste, and definitely not the taste he was looking for. But no matter what he made or how many times he made it, his food never made the cut. It was frustrating. There was no way the diner could last with what he was making. Int terms of the class cafe, it would not matter as much to him, but he was pinning something else on what he was able to make. Perhaps he just needed some other foreign dish.

One weekend in the evening, the diner became fairly busy. It was to be expected around dinner time, and his siblings probably would have been fine waiting tables on their own, but Hanamura still helped out in the dining room. He continuously switched between different tasks, but every time he entered the kitchen again, he wished that he could be practicing cooking instead of doing anything else. He felt he was getting closer to the flavor he wanted, like he could reach it if he tried again just one more time.

At one point, two high schoolers came through the doors. Hanamura headed over to the table they seated themselves in to find that he knew both of them.

“Good evening, Hinata and Nanami,” he sang as he handed them both a menu, “What brings you both here to our lovely diner?”

“Multiple things,” Nanami yawned. She looked like she had either been dragged away from a video game or a nap.

“Our parents won’t be home until late at night,” Hinata explained, “and we don’t feel like cooking even if we had ingredients to cook with.”

“We’re also tired of buying whatever premade food they have at the store,” Nanami added, “so we’re here.”

“Is that so?” Hanamura laughed, “Then what would you two like to eat?”

After a few moments, both of his classmates gave him their orders. Hanamura quickly went into the back kitchen and told his mother the order before washing a few of the dishes that his sister brought back. About seven minutes later, Hanamura was able to bring back the food Hinata and Nanami ordered.

“Here’s the meat and potato stew handsome Hinata wanted,” he announced as he place the dish in front of his classmate, “And the grilled fish with miso soup the lovely miss Nanami ordered. I hope you enjoy.”

“Thank you, Hanamura,” Nanami told him. Hinata muttered something he did not quite catch before echoing Nanami’s words.

Hanamura continued to do whatever random tasks he could do, from helping his mother cut vegetables to waiting on other customers. All the while, he pondered over how he could make his food taste how he wanted it to. He knew that his mother made food that tasted better than his own, and he wanted to figure out how she does it. Even when he tried to replicate his mother’s food exactly, it never turned out right. How could he make food on the same level as his mother’s?

Then he had an idea: perhaps he could ask someone about his mother’s food to see what made it so good. The idea was so genius yet simple that he wonder why he did not think of it before.

He hurried over to the table where his classmates were sitting. “How are you both liking your food?” he asked them.

“It’s very good,” Nanami told him after swallowing a bite, “You told us your mother makes the food, right? Tell her it tastes wonderful.”

If he were to ask about his mother’s cooking, now was a better time than never. “Say, I wanted to know just what made my mother’s cooking taste so good. It has a unique taste, and I was wondering if I could somehow replicate it to an extent for our cafe.”

Both of them fell silent. Nanami looked across the table to Hinata, who looked to be carefully considering the question. After a beat, Hinata said, “Well, it has that ‘made with love,’ taste that everyone seems to like, you know? It’s the kind of comfort food that you’d love to come home to after a long day.”

Nanami nodded. “Yes, it has that ‘mother’s home cooking’ sort of feeling, I think.”

‘Comfort food?’ ‘Made with love?’ Hanamura had never considered that before. “I see. Thank you both for your helpful feedback.”

That night, he did not practice cooking. Instead, he thought over his classmates words. He realized that he did not even know what kind of taste he was trying to create before, but now he knew. He wanted to make food that warmed people up and made them smile, just like his mother’s food. He wanted to make food that make his friends satisfied. Most of all, he wanted to be able to give back to his mother and make her food that would make her grin from ear to ear just like her food did for him.

The next morning, Hanamura was out of bed early to help his mother set up the diner for the day. “Well, someone is cheerful in the morning,” his mother chuckled when she walked into the kitchen.

“Say, Mom,” Hanamura started, “For the cultural festival, is it okay if I used some of your recipes?”

“Of course,” she replied in an instant, “Put a smile on their faces, dear.”

Hanamura gave an enthusiastic nod. “Yeah, I will.” He certainly will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this was so late. Late late late! And what do I have to show for it? A sub-par story that I have yet to edit, is what! I have no acceptable excuse for how late this is, I was just being a lazy butt. Hopefully I'll be able to release the story that was supposed to be out in September on time later this month...
> 
> This story took first place for the most revised. Sorry Tanaka! This wasn't a reason why I was late, since that's what I usually do, anyway. I'm not quite sure about the reason why for this, either, though I do have some guesses. Hanamura is often portrayed as an... eccentric individual. (lookweallknowthewordi'mlookingforisperverted) However, looking back at his free time events (and the rating I gave for this fic), I decided to play out that more earnest passion of his, but maybe I made it too much so? Like, now he's just some kid who's working hard and he's lost all of that goofiness we love (or hate) about him. I mean, at least it's better than the first draft. I guess I'll just have to make sure he's goofy again when he pops up in future stories. There's a fine line I have to draw with the nature of a few of his comments, though... Also, this story was supposed to be a lot more self indulgent, but then it wasn't? Not sure what happened there. Hinata's presence has also lessened significantly, I feel like.
> 
> (there are a lot of parenthesis in these notes rip)
> 
> Thanks for reading! I can't make any promises, but hope for another story out later this month.


	10. When the Sun Reflects Your Blade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The cool Pekoyama is here to cut through your words! (not really)

Pekoyama never thought very hard about her purpose in life. She was a means to an end -a thing to be used to reach the user’s final goal. People around her would say that no person should be used like a thing, but she found nothing wrong with her situation. It was less that she had accepted it and more so that she had grown up knowing, the fact etched into the flesh of her very being. It was her only purpose, and she would do anything to fulfill it.

“Don’t act like my manservant,” Kuzuryu had told her at the start of their first year, “From now until after we graduate, we’ll just be friends. I don’t want people to think we’re associated with the gang and cause trouble.”

These words left her feeling lost. Of course she could understand where her master was coming from. The Kuzuryu Clan often disliked their members’ faces to be made public. After all, that made them easier to arrest. However, she had no idea how to properly fulfil this order that she was given. In their first year, she was perceived as a sort of quiet shadow of Kuzuryu, as she learned from the whisperings of her classmates. She tried to keep some space between herself and her master, but there was only so much distance that she could keep when she had to guard said master.

This year, she was to try again. Their classmates this time did not seem to notice how often she was by Kuzuryu’s side, or rather, they did not bring it up as much. This was not a problem for her, but Kuzuryu told her that just because they did not acknowledge her continuous presence near him did not mean that their cover could not be blown, so she continued to try for his sake.

Of course, that led to a few predicaments that were almost as unfavorable.

“Hey, Pekoyama,” Saionji started one day before school. From the harsh tone of her voice, Pekoyama knew to be on guard for some sharp words. “Why do you carry around that bamboo sword all the time? Are you planning on fighting someone?”

“Oh, Ibuki wonders that, too,” Mioda chimed in, “After all, I’ve never seen Peko in the kendo club before or after school.”

Pekoyama internally flinched. One glance to Kuzuryu let her know that he had heard the questions. He gave her a look that she recognized from many instances in the past before turning back to his conversation with Hinata and Souda. She had to tread with caution.

“It’s-” It was to protect her master, she wanted to explain. But that could never leave her lips. “It was… given to me by a relative.”

“So you carry it around because it’s important to you?” Mioda queried.

“Yes, something like that.” She felt like she handled that too clumsily, but the two girls seemed to no longer suspicious of the sword. Crisis averted.

“Do you like to spar with people?” Mioda asked, “‘Cause if you do, then you could probably find some good opponents in the kendo club. I heard the members were pretty good in competitions and stuff.”

“I do enjoy sparring,” Pekoyama answered honestly, “but I don’t have any interest in joining a club.”

Throughout the school day, she kept and eye on Kuzuryu from across the room. She would usually also be by his side when he left the classroom during their free time. However, at lunch that day, the events played out differently. The lunch bell rung, and right away, Kuzuryu stood to head out of the classroom. He left through the door closer to the front, since it was closer to his desk. Pekoyama exited through the other door, which was next to her desk. She quickened her pace to catch up to her master. He was moving on ahead of her, so there was nothing out of the ordinary with that.

A bit of the way down the hall, he suddenly turned to face her. “Don’t follow me.”

“What?” This was a command that never came from his mouth before. It caught her off guard.

“I.. want some time to myself. Just for lunch. So don’t hover around me and… I don’t know… hang out with someone else or something,” he commanded.

Pekoyama stood still in the hallway, too stunned to even respond to her master as she watched him walk away. Further, further, further. She wanted to go after him. To protect him from unknown dangers. But she had to follow orders. That is what she was taught.

“Pekoyama?” She whirled around as she reached for her sword…

...Only to find that it was just Hinata. “Whoa, whoa!” he exclaimed, “It’s just me.”

“Oh, Hinata.” Pekoyama relaxed, letting her hand drop to her side. “Sorry. You startled me.”

“Ah, sorry,” he apologized, “I didn’t mean to. I just noticed that you and Kuzuryu weren’t together and you seemed…” He paused, his eyes momentarily in his mind. “...In despair, in a way.”

“Was I?”

“Well, something like that.” He scratched his head, took a deep breath, then said, “Hey, do you want to eat lunch with me? Maybe on the roof, if you don’t mind.”

Her master did tell her to spend time with someone else. “Yes, I’ll go with you.”

The rooftop was fairly empty. Only a small group of students could be seen on the opposite side of the building. Hinata ushered her to sit with him by the fence that overlooked the courtyard. Pekoyama peered down to the ground below to see Kuzuryu was sitting down there. If she looked a bit more, she saw Souda was approaching him. To think that their pink haired classmate would get over his fears long enough to even approach her master.

“You and Kuzuryu are usually together, right?,” Hinata queried.

“Yes,” she agreed, not taking her eyes off of her master, “We’re childhood friends.”

“Is that all?”

“What do you mean?” Pekoyama asked.

“Ah, sorry. I’m asking something personal.” Pekoyama’s curiosity got the best of her, for she turned her head in time to see Hinata shake his head before directing his attention back to his lunch.

“Do you still want to ask?” Hinata glanced back up to her, swallowing the food in his mouth. “I’ll try my best to answer it.”

“Then…” He swallowed again. “Is there any other reason why you’re always by his side?”

“Another reason?” Did Hinata catch on? She had to pick her words carefully. “I was taught from a young age to protect those who are important.”

“Just important?” Hinata put in.

“Are there different kinds of importance?”

“...Never mind. If that’s the case, then why is he important?”

Pekoyama took a deep breath. She felt like it was too late to back out of the conversation. “Our… families are close.”

“I see.” He took another bite, and she mirrored the action. After a beat, he spoke up again. “You know, he told me that he wanted to see you enjoy yourself more while we’re in high school.”

“Huh?” Was that something her master would actually say? “Why?”

“I’m not really sure about his exact feelings,” Hinata answered, “but it seems like Kuzuryu really cherishes you. More than a family friend, I mean. He wants you to be genuinely happy.”

“See me… happy…?” she muttered. She was not quite sure how to react to those words. Her master had no need to wish that for her. All that she needed to do was to protect her master and be used. She could not imagine any other life than that. And yet, Kuzuryu wanted her to experience something past that. It baffled her, yet also filled her heart with warmth.

“...If there are different kinds of importance,” Pekoyama slowly began, “then I think he may also be another kind.”

Later, after school, she walked home with Kuzuryu, as usual. He walked in silence for a few minutes, but eventually, Kuzuryu spoke up. “Hey, I’m… sorry about lunch.”

Pekoyama was not expecting that. Kuzuryu had not need to apologize for anything. Also, he never even looked remotely sorry for anything for quite some time, much less say anything like an apology “What makes you say that, young master?”

“Look, don’t make me explain myself,” he pouted, “and you better accept it, ‘cause that’s the only time I’m doing it.” Pekoyama found she had to withhold a giggle, which the boy next to her certainly noticed. “Ugh, I knew you’d laugh at that,” he muttered.

“Sorry,” she tried to say with a straight face. Another moment of silence passed before she spoke up again. “If you don’t mind… I would like to join the kendo club.”

“Do as you like,” Kuzuryu told her in an instant.

He said those words passively, but she could tell that there was a hint of joy in his eyes. “Thank you. Kuzuryu.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's still September on my side of the world, so it's fine! I'm still on time! (I tell myself)
> 
> I'm pretty sure I had a whole big rant to say down here, but I'm too tired to remember it rn. Maybe I'll edit the end notes later and not spare you from my ranting. But in the mean time...
> 
> Thanks for reading! Let's see how early of late the next one is, shall we?


End file.
